17 Innovators Highlight Investment to Solve Global Water Challenges
22.3.2023 18:15:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Seventeen organizations have joined forces to support the United Nations (UN) Water Action Agenda, pledging to invest $11 billion in water innovation over the next five years.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230322005481/en/
Innovators highlight investment to solve global water challenges (Photo: Business Wire)
The collective commitment will be announced later today at an event organized by water technology company Xylem (NYSE: XYL) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, convened during the UN 2023 Water Conference. The pledges will be included in the Water Action Agenda, a collection of all water-related commitments to accelerate progress on UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 targeting Water and Sanitation.
Executives from Xylem, Veolia, XPV, Hydraloop International, and Hansgrohe will be joined by several nonprofit organizations, to pledge their commitment to invest in innovative water solutions. The funds will be directed toward water-related research and development, start-up companies commercializing innovative approaches to water management, and the deployment of new water technologies. The organizations will also commit to ongoing engagement with development agencies, governments, and other stakeholders to facilitate more cross-sector action to solve water challenges.
“Most of humanity’s challenges today stem from our reliance on water, whether for human life or, on a larger scale, economic well-being and prosperity of society,” said Henk Ovink, Water Envoy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. “We all need it, but in some places there is too much and in other places there isn’t enough. As significant water investors and users, the private sector has a pivotal role to play. The organizations pledging their commitment today are at the forefront of bringing new innovations to water use, treatment, and recycling. This type of collective action is essential to tackling major water challenges, and to creating a sustainable planet for future generations.”
The commitment from the private and philanthropic sectors to invest in water solutions supports the UN 2023 Water Conference’s call for clear pledges and actions, across all sectors, industries, and interests to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“For those who can simply turn on a tap, water may not seem like a problem,” said Patrick Decker, CEO of Xylem. “But the UN 2023 Water Conference is a timely reminder that water challenges are intensifying around the world. The organizations making commitments today recognize these are challenges we can and must solve. Many of the essential technologies already exist, but as climate change progresses, we need more innovative solutions and accelerated implementation to increase the resilience and water-security of communities everywhere.”
The inclusion of the private sector in the UN 2023 Water Conference, the first event of its kind since 1977, has been welcomed as essential in developing an impactful Water Action Agenda. The conference brings together stakeholders from across governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, nonprofits, academic institutions, and the scientific community to advance transformative ideas that can solve global water challenges.
Organizations contributing to the pledge include Acciona, Autodesk, BlueTech, Burnt Island Ventures, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Evoqua, Grundfos, Hansgrohe, Hydraloop, Idexx, UGSI Solutions, Veolia, Water Foundry Ventures, Wavin, Westly Group, XPV and Xylem.
The event - Private Sector Investment Commitment to Water Innovation - will convene technology innovators, investors, government, civil society, and development agencies to consider the role of innovation in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Organized by Xylem and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New York, the event will be hosted in partnership with Bluetech Research, Burnt Island Ventures, Evoqua, the International Water Association, Mercy Corps, UNICEF, the Water Foundry, Veolia, the WateReuse Association, and the Water Research Foundation.
About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation. Our more than 17,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $5.5 billion in 2022. We are creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customers to optimize water and resource management, and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. Join us at www.xylem.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230322005481/en/
Contact information
Houston Spencer
+1 (914) 323-5723
Houston.Spencer@xylem.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Lattice to Showcase Advanced Edge AI Solutions at the FPGA-forum 202628.1.2026 23:00:00 EET | Press release
Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC), the low power programmable leader, today announced its exhibition plan for the upcoming FPGA-forum 2026 taking place February 11 – 12, 2026 in Trondheim, Norway. As part of the event, Lattice Corporate Vice President of Software Solutions and Applications Engineering Eleena Ong will deliver a keynote presentation exploring how rapidly maturing AI technologies can turn FPGA platforms into innovation canvases for a much broader range of developers, sparking new application possibilities. Lattice will also deliver a technical presentation and host a demo showcase focused on how its low power FPGA solutions are advancing connectivity and edge AI applications. Who: Lattice Semiconductor What / When (GMT+1): Lattice Demo Showcase (Table #3), Feb 11-12 Keynote Feb. 11, 9:30 a.m. “Unlocking the Next Wave of FPGA Innovators with Generative and Agentic AI” Technical Presentation Feb. 12, 10 a.m. “Smaller. Cooler. Smarter: Lattice FPGAs’ Path to Uncompromised
Egon Zehnder Elects German Herrera as New Chair28.1.2026 21:01:00 EET | Press release
Egon Zehnder, the world’s premier leadership advisory firm, today announced that, in accordance with its established governance and three-year election cycle, German Herrera has been elected as the Firm’s next Chair by its worldwide partnership. Herrera will assume the role effective March 1, 2026. He will succeed Michael Ensser, who has held the position since 2022, in a planned succession at the conclusion of his regular term. Herrera joined the Firm in 1998 in Bogotá and has helped shape the Firm’s global presence, taking on a broad range of leadership roles, from co-leading the Global Family Business Advisory Practice to serving on the Executive Committee and the Market Council. Most recently, Herrera has guided Egon Zehnder’s U.S. market through a period of impressive growth and transformation, which today includes 15 offices and more than 150 consultants. As the first Latinx person in this role in the industry, he actively forges strategic partnerships and joint ventures. With ex
De' Longhi Group - Record Preliminary 2025 Revenues of €3.8 Billion, up 10.4% at Constant Exchange Rates28.1.2026 20:25:00 EET | Press release
Below are the preliminary 2025 revenues for the De’ Longhi S.p.A. Group: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260128191504/en/ 12 months, revenues at € 3,801.5 million, growing at 8.7% (+10.4% at constant currency); fourth quarter, revenues at € 1,340.0 million, growing at 5.7% (+8.2% at constant currency). Fabio de' Longhi, CEO of the Group, stated: "The Group achieved solid growth at constant currency of 10.4% in 2025, characterized by consistent results throughout the year. We are particularly pleased with the excellent performance achieved in the fourth quarter, which successfully overcame the challenges posed by the current market environment. The household division consolidated its recent growth momentum during the quarter, with organic growth of 5.2% against a challenging year-over-year comparison. This performance was primarily driven by the structural trend in coffee, amplified by strategic media investmen
Organon Completes Divestiture of JADA ® System to Laborie28.1.2026 19:45:00 EET | Press release
Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global healthcare company with a mission to deliver impactful medicines and solutions for a healthier every day, announced today the successful closing of the sale of its JADA® System to Laborie Medical Technologies Corp. Please see our prior announcement for a summary of the transaction terms. Indications for Use The JADA® System is intended to provide control and treatment of abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding or hemorrhage when conservative management is warranted. Contraindications Ongoing intrauterine pregnancy Untreated uterine rupture Unresolved uterine inversion Current cervical cancer Known uterine anomaly Current purulent infection of vagina, cervix, or uterus For C-sections: Cervix <3 cm dilated before use of JADA Warnings Avoid excessive force when inserting JADA into the uterus or trauma to uterine wall may occur, including perforation. The safety and effectiveness of the JADA System in delivery at a gestational age <34 weeks or, if multiples, uter
Laserfiche Expands AI Data Capture with Auto-Classification to Transform Data into Business Intelligence28.1.2026 17:00:00 EET | Press release
Laserfiche — the leading SaaS provider of intelligent content management — today announced major enhancements to its AI-powered data extraction tool, Smart Fields. The update introduces automated document classification and tagging, allowing organizations to move from unstructured content to informed decisions in seconds. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260128228490/en/ Using natural language prompts instead of rigid, ruled-based OCR, Smart Fields can now identify document type — such as invoices, taxpayer identification forms, or student transcripts — and automatically apply the correct metadata template using AI. Users can also use Smart Fields to automatically add informational and security tags to files that meet certain criteria, defined using a natural language prompt. Users can capture key details, route documents, and apply the proper metadata tags instantly and at scale. “Success in today’s AI-driven
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom