<ul>
<li>13:45-14:05; The Megavessel: a new approach to membrane pressure vessels. Guillaume Clairet. H2O Innovation.</li>
<li>14:05-14:25; Enhancing Desalination Performance with Minerals: Technical Insights and Applications</li>
<li>14:25-14:45; Saving on CAPEX and OPEX in industrial process water treatment plant capacity expansion using Activated Filter Media.</li>
<li>14:45-15:05; The role of clean water for a robust and reliable production of Green Hydrogen </li>
<li>15:05-15:25: Impact of Smart electro-active desalination membranes: Making Industrial desalination cost-effective</li>
</ul>

Advancements in industrial and corporate desalination: paving the way for a sustainable future.

<ul>
<li>15:15-15:35; A unique solution for Ion-Exchange operation optimization: Economical and environmental impacts. Elad Barak.</li>
<li>15:35-15:55; An innovative composite framework with a highly permeable metal-organic framework -membrane for sustainable water desalination.</li>
<li>15:55-16:15; MHD-EHD Physical Desalination of Seawater Coupled with Centrifugation and Crystallization Mechanisms</li>
<li>16:15-16:35; Reducing Desalination's Carbon Footprint with Enzymes.</li>
</ul>
 
Elad Barak:
A unique solution for Ion-Exchange operation optimization: Economical and environmental impacts. 
1. Performing an automatic regeneration according to the characteristics of the input stream (flow rates and concentrations of hardness ions) considering the change in temperature throughout the year and according to the production plan - the nature of the feed stream changes, the amount of water required for treatment changes and therefore also the loading rate of the ion exchangers.
2. Determining the volume of water required for regeneration. 
The above is expected to significantly reduce the amount of acid required for regeneration and large amount of water required for washing and rinsing.
Methodology:
- During the project, the "effective" capacity of the resin was tested in relation to the theoretical capacity -a long experiment with many repetitions: loading the resins until "breakthrough" and then a long regeneration until reaching a constant hardness value.
- For several months, data was collected on the inlet current to the ion exchangers: calcium and magnesium using ICP-MS, and conductivity. 
- An in-depth analysis was performed on how the system works and how it is implemented in the field.
Main findings:
- The resin capacity was found to be lower than the theoretical (about ~ 30%).
- A strong relationship was found between the concentrations of calcium and magnesium (each separately) and the conductivity of the feed to the ion exchangers.
How to integrate the findings into the existing system and the consequences of the change:
- To determine the number of ions loaded into the ion exchangers, an algorithm was implemented in the control system that calculates the amount of hardness ions from the measured conductivity. When the cumulative amount reaches the predetermined value (because of understanding the "effective" resin capacity)- the unit automatically started its regeneration.
- The amount of water required for regeneration was determined from the experiment to determine the capacity of the resin and by combining additional data.
These days we are running an experiment to examine the effect of the regeneration solution conductivity on the required regeneration volume to increase the availability of the system, especially during the summer days when the loads are high.
 
Muneer Bata:
Addressing the critical challenges of traditional desalination processes such as high energy consumption and significant fouling, this study investigates the integration of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF-303) with chitosan and Arabic gum into a polysulfone matrix. The research highlights the importance of enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of water desalination systems by leveraging the unique properties of its constituents.
The synthesis utilized a strategic layering approach, starting with the integration of MOF-303 into the polysulfone base, followed by the addition of chitosan and Arabic gum. This methodology was designed to optimize the membrane's hydrophilicity and mechanical strength, thereby improving its permeability and antifouling properties. Under varying pressures, desalination tests demonstrated a substantial increase in both water flux and salt rejection rates, achieving optimal performance at 6 bar with a flux of 48 L/m²h and salt rejection stabilizing at 90%.
SEM analyses confirmed the successful incorporation of MOF-303 and revealed enhanced structural integrity of the membrane. The results underscore the membrane's potential for large-scale applications, marking a significant advancement in desalination technology. Future efforts will focus on scaling production and conducting real-world tests to further validate the membrane's performance and operational durability.

Part 2. The Future of Cleaner Water Through Desalination

Assiyeh Tabatabai is Senior Application Expert at Lhoist where she leads product and application development for water, wastewater, and sludge treatment. Assiyeh holds an MSc in Water Supply Engineering from UNESCO-IHE, Delft and a PhD in membrane-based desalination technology from TU Delft. With over a decade of experience in technology development and commercialization, Assiyeh has worked across various areas of the water treatment value chain. She is dedicated to developing solutions that reduce the chemical and energy footprint of water treatment processes and recover valuable compounds from reject streams.

Senior Applications Expert, Lhoist

Engineer by vocation, with experience in renewable energies, space structures and now in wastewater treatment, particularly in advanced digital control solutions with artificial intelligence. I like to keep up to date with new technologies and keep learning new things.

Digital Solutions Sales Technician, CIMICO

​Şenol ​Ağaç is actively supporting water technology companies in their sales efforts since 2016. He is working for 3 different clients and selling their products into the real estate industry in Germany and Europeanwide.
He is a conference speaker at Aquatech and other events & fairs in 2025.
With "Chancendeutschland" he has published a bestselling book on the future of German democracy.

Founder, Sustainable Water Consulting

Gerrald Bargeman obtained his MSc and PhD degree at the University of Twente, and worked for Shell R&D and NIZO Food Research before joining AkzoNobel in 2002. At AkzoNobel and its divested businesses Nouryon and Nobian, Gerrald held scientific and leadership roles. Currently, he is Process Technology Specialist and part-time professor at the University of Twente, where he holds the chair “Membranes for Harsh Conditions”. Gerrald is (co-)author of approximately 50 peer reviewed journal publications.

Process Technology Specialist and Part-time Professor Membranes for Harsh Conditions, Nobian Industrial Chemical B.V

Joost is co-owner and managing director of Paques Biomaterials. He is also member of the supervisory board of (previously family owned) Paques Holding b.v., as well as board member with a few organisations like Suspacc and BEstart. In the past, Joost was executive leadership team member of Paques Global, managing director of Paques Europe and business developer at Paques Environmental Technology in Shanghai. Before that he worked at Accenture for 4 years. Joost studied at Delft, University of Technology and at Insead Business School in Fontainebleau, France. Paques Biomaterials is leading in the field of development and realization of PHA installations on the basis of organic waste streams. Paques Biomaterials uses naturally present micro-organisms and work from the BioBizz hub in Balk.

Managing director, Paques Biomaterials

Andrea Naves has been working in the Sustainability area of the Eurecat  Foundation since 2020. She currently works as an Advanced Researcher in the Water, Air and Soil Unit of the center. Her main lines of research are included within water treatment technologies, both conventional and advanced systems with membranes, in the industrial field. She has experience in tertiary treatment systems for water regeneration and reuse, as well as zero liquid discharge (ZLD) systems. She has worked in more than 20 research projects, public and private, participating in various scientific-technical publications and patents.

Advanced Researcher, Eurecat

Ragne Pärnamäe is a Scientific Project Manager at Wetsus, specializing in electrochemical membrane technologies at the water-energy nexus. She holds a MSc in Chemical Engineering from Aarhus University and is currently pursuing a PhD at Wageningen University & Research, where her research focuses on alkaline water electrolysis and nickel-based hydrogen evolution catalysts.

Scientific Project Manager

Stephen Wheeler is a Senior Ion Exchange Technologist at ResinTech, a US manufacturer of ion exchange products based in Camden, New Jersey. He has been in the water treatment industry for over 15 years.
 
Stephen runs the technical and applications support group for ResinTech and has been involved with their laboratory and R&D efforts to identify and remediate PFAS contaminants. Stephen has presented at multiple technical conferences on PFAS remediation technologies.
 
Stephen holds a degree in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State University and is an Environmental Commissioner for the Borough of Clayton, NJ.

Senior Ion Exchange Technologist, ResinTech Inc

Sales, Krohne

Managing Director/ Co-Owner, Rainboo

Prof. Leo Posthuma is an expert in the field of environmental risks and sustainable development at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and as Professor by special appointment 'Sustainability and Environmental Risks' at Radboud University Nijmegen.
Leo Posthuma studied biology at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. In 1987 he graduated cum laude, with specialisations in animal ecology, plant ecology, phytopathology and population genetics. His PhD-research at the same University focused on long-term effects of unintended mixtures of chemical pollutants. Working at RIVM since 1992, Leo is concerned with scientific support for decision-making under uncertainty, especially geared towards solving complex (‘wicked’) environmental problems. Keywords are environmental risks, sustainable development, and solution-focused and practical approaches and methodologies.
Leo currently acts as expert and project leader in projects on risks and sustainability ranging from local to global scales. His key interest lie in the provision of strategic goals, to provide universally applicable and validated knowledge, data and approaches. But also on effective application of such knowledge to current problems. His contributions to the latter range from solving problems with slightly contaminated soil, water and sediments up till the design and operationalization of a method for a swift disaster assessment and evaluation approach for United Nations field teams.
As expert and professor, Leo Posthuma focuses on the transposition of environmental problems into sustainable solutions.

Prof. and senior Researcher Sustainability and Environmental Risks

Prof. Eric D. van Hullebusch received his PhD (Aquatic Chemistry and Microbiology) from Université de Limoges (France) in 2002. From November 2002 until October 2004, he was a Marie Curie Postdoctoral fellow at Wageningen University & Research (the Netherlands) where his research focused on the optimization of anaerobic granular sludge reactors by studying the speciation, bioavailability and dosing strategies of trace metals. In 2005, he was appointed as associate professor in biogeochemistry of engineered ecosystems at Université Paris-Est (France). From September 2016 until August 2018, he worked at IHE Delft as chair professor in Environmental Science and Technology and head of the Pollution Prevention and Resource Recovery chair group. In September 2018, he joined Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (France) as full professor in Biogeochemistry of engineered ecosystems. Prof. van Hullebusch has published more than 295 peer-reviewed papers (17000+ citations, h-index 68) in the field of biogeochemistry of metals and metalloids in engineered ecosystems. His research is currently mostly focusing on the implementation of novel biohydrometallurgical approaches for the recovery of technology critical elements as well as polluted soils (bio)remediation with a particular focus on Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Full Professor, Institut de physique du globe de Paris / Université Paris Cité

Elad began his professional career as a research and development engineer in MABR (Membrane Aerated Bioreactor) technology - starting with the small lab-scale pilot  throughout all the development stages until he served as an engineer who led the planning and running of MABR facilities in various parts of the world.
Later on, he served as a technologist (CTO) for a 300 MLD desalination plant.  As part of his role, he worked tirelessly for economic and environmental efficiency, while developing a unique algorithm and applying advanced engineering techniques. Among other things, for example, he initiated and worked to change LG's membrane production method, developed a method to optimize membrane replacement, and was responsible for significant savings in chemical consumption by developing techno-economic models to create optimal processes. 
At the same time as his work in industry, Elad is an academic lecturer in a  Chemical Engineering Faculty, and works regularly to educate the future generation.  As part of his various positions, he made sure to adopt students to carry out a final project, who also won several academic awards.  Today, Elad serves as CTO at All e Water, in which he leads a number of technological developments that we may all benefit from in the future.

CTO, All e Water

Program Manager Digital Twin Distribution Network (Brabant Water)

Enterprise Product Sales (Bentley)

Matt has over 30 years’ experience in the water and wastewater industry, covering a variety of commercial and leadership roles across global organizations such as Suez, Black & Veatch, Bluewater Bio and Evoqua. At Specific Energy, Matt is responsible for strategy and growth of the business across EMEA and other international markets; through developing and maintaining customer and partner relationships, and demonstrating the advantages Specific Energy can bring to pump system design, operation and asset management programs for operational resilience and energy efficiency.

Vice President, EMEA, Specific Energy

AI Solutions Director  (Sand Technologies)

Van Leur studeerde aan de Wageningen UR Bodem, Water en Atmosfeer. Ze kwam in 1994 via een stage bij Meteo Consult terecht, waar ze bijna vijf jaar weerberichten voor kranten, radio en televisie verzorgde. Ze werkt freelance sinds april 1997 als weervrouw voor de televisiezenders van RTL.
Naast haar werkzaamheden voor televisie schrijft ze artikelen en columns over haar kennis en ervaringen en verzorgt ze lezingen over weer, klimaat en duurzaamheid. In oktober 2011 maakte ze als weerkundige deel uit van Solar Team Twente tijdens de World Solar Challenge: een zonne-auto race van ruim 3000 km dwars door Australië. Ook hierover werd een televisieprogramma gemaakt.
Twintig jaar lang presenteerde Van Leur het weerbericht bij de nieuwsuitzendingen van RTL 4. Op 30 juni 2017 deed ze dat voor de laatste keer. Vanaf 5 juli 2017 presenteerde ze de wekelijkse weerrubriek Wat een weer bij RTL Late Night.

Meteoroloog, Helga van Leur

Dean, ResinTech University, ResinTech, Inc.

Jeffrey has been involved with PFAS remediation for over 20 years.  He has a doctorate in Earth Sciences from the University of Quebec and is a docent with Gothenburg University.  He has worked as a researcher and consultant and joined ECT2 in 2020.

European business development manager, ECT2

EZMEMS

Founder & CEO, Orb

Diego Bleeckx, an engineer in chemistry & bioprocesses, is a specialist in industrial wastewater treatment. At Waterleau, he has designed advanced wastewater treatment plants across multiple continents and managed international projects. As Growth Leader for PFAS removal, Diego focuses on innovative solutions to eliminate "forever chemicals" from industrial water streams. His expertise and global perspective make him a passionate advocate for sustainable water management and environmental stewardship​.

Growth Leader – PFAS Removal, Waterleau

Burcu is leading the Global Water Technology Group and over the years, she has led several projects ranging from feasibility studies to commissioning and troubleshooting of treatment plants for various industries. Based on her knowledge and experience Burcu was named a Fluor Fellow in the field of water and wastewater treatment. Since 2020, she serves as vice chairwoman of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AiCHE)  for the Netherlands/Belgium section.

Process Engineering Manager – Fluor Fellow, Fluor Corporation

Senior Sales Consultant, Aquatech Global

Sustainable Water & Green Energy

Elbir Jové is working at DuPont Water Solutions as
Technical Service and Development for municipal and industrial water reuse for
southern and easter European countries,
giving technical support to WAVE (DuPont Water modeling tool).
Elbir joined Dow Chemical in 2014 as application R&D engineer for reverse osmosis,
nanofiltration and ultrafiltration technologies, leading the experimental part of several
projects in industrial water.
She is a chemical engineer, holding a master in occupational health and safety and a
MBA degree.

Technical Service and Development, Dupont

Jochen Kallenberg brings extensive expertise in water treatment processes and chemical engineering, complemented by an advanced degree in marketing. With over 25 years of experience in the water treatment industry, he has developed deep knowledge in desalination, membrane technology, media filtration, and applications for the mining sector. His career includes roles at globally recognized membrane and mineral technology companies. He currently serves as Director of Water Treatment at Dryden Aqua in Switzerland. For the past four years, Jochen Kallenberg has been a board member and the acting Vice President of the European Desalination Society.

Director Water Treatment, Dryden Aqua

Manager Sales, Econvert, part of Nijhuis Saur Industries

Jan van den Broek, MSc is managing director of NSI Byosis BV. He is co-founder of the company that he started in 2009 after having started his own engineering and project management company in 2006. Byosis became part of Nijhuis Saur Industries in 2022. He holds an degree of the University of Groningen in Chemical Engineering. In his previous life he held several positions in engineering and management and was a.o. plant manager of a large scale powerplant for a company now known as Engie. He is passionate about process technology and sustainable solutions, however learned in practice, while growing his business, that economy is always a bigger driver than sustainability is. The best solution therefore is a solution that is not only a more sustainable one, but also the one that suits a customer’s business purposes. In his presentation he will deep dive into technical and economical criteria for the advanced ammonia recovery technology Byosis has developed.

Co-founder/managing director, Byosis, part of the Nijhuis Saur Industries

Dutch Water Board De Dommel

SALT Doctors

Gabriele earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Central Florida. Her graduate research focused on carrying out a feasibility study utilizing a nanofiltration pilot system for a local municipality, while assisting on other research projects including corrosion studies, RO piloting, and more. In May 2024, Gabriele joined American Water Chemicals as an Applications Engineer, where she has been providing technical support, troubleshooting, and innovative solutions to clients in the water treatment industry. Recently, Gabriele transitioned to American Water Chemicals’ European division, where she continues to apply her technical expertise while expanding the company’s support across international markets.

Applications Engineer, American Water Chemicals

Dr. Christine Kleffner is a process engineer with over 10 years of R&D experience in membrane technology. She specializes in the innovative application of membrane processes for energy efficient treatment and concentration of saline process and wastewater, striving to develop sustainable technical solutions for the industrial implementation of a circular economy.

Professor of Sustainable Process Engineering

Antonia is an Environmental Engineer with a M.Sc at Politecnico of Turin. She is currently based in Switzerland, and she works for Isle Utilities as a Technology Consultant within the industrial team.  She has working experience on water usage within many production processes, ranging from F&B, to O&G, textile, chemical and many more. She has expertise in water treatment technologies, utilities and is very passionate about water neutrality and water stewardship. Before joining Isle, she worked at Philip Morris International and Siegried on innovative treatment technologies pilot projects, applied to wastewater, wastewater recycling and cooling towers.

Technology Consultant, Isle utilities

Michael Baird - President & Owner, Aquamor, LLC
Michael Baird is a recognized leader in the water filtration and treatment industry, currently serving as President and Owner of Aquamor, LLC. With a career spanning decades, Michael has been at the forefront of innovation in water purification, holding over 20 patents in the space. His expertise has positioned Aquamor as a premier manufacturer of high-quality water filtration products, proudly made in the USA.
Michael's industry influence extends beyond his company. He has been deeply involved with the Water Quality Association (WQA) and the Water Research Foundation, playing a pivotal role in shaping industry standards and best practices. In the 1990s, he was involved in the formation of the WQA World Assembly, which helped establish WQA groups in numerous countries, driving international collaboration and industry growth.
Prior to founding Aquamor in 2004, Michael served as Vice President of Sales (water filtration division) at Sta-Rite Industries, where he successfully worked to build a water treatment business unit through acquisition and organic expansion. His entrepreneurial background also includes ownership of EZ2.NET and a partnership at Hydro-Flow Filtration starting in 1987, reinforcing his extensive knowledge of water filtration systems and technologies.
Today, Michael continues to support the advancement of the water filtration industry at both state and national levels, advocating for improved water quality standards, regulatory initiatives, and innovative technologies. His commitment to quality, efficiency, and sustainability ensures that Aquamor remains a trusted leader in water filtration, serving residential, commercial, and foodservice markets globally.

President, Aquamor

Jeremy Pollack is the Director of Government Affairs for the Water Quality Association (WQA), where he leads the association’s legislative and regulatory efforts at the global, federal, state, and local levels. He is spearheading key initiatives on behalf of WQA members, including efforts related to PFAS, lead, and rural water quality. Jeremy was named one of The Hill’s top lobbyists for 2024 and recently appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC), which advises the U.S. government on strategies to enhance exports while ensuring environmental, safety, and regulatory standards.
Prior to WQA, Jeremy was the Manager of Federal and Global Government Affairs for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), where he served as the chief liaison to Congress and federal agencies. He was instrumental in educating lawmakers on energy and refrigeration standards and building partnerships with key government agencies, including DHS, DOE, and NIST.
Jeremy’s experience also includes consulting for Gephardt Government Affairs and serving in the offices of former Congressman Jared Polis and Governor John Hickenlooper, when he was vice-chair of the bipartisan National Governors Association.

Director of Government Affairs, Water Quality Association

EMEA Business Development Lead - Power & Utilities

Bart is a Hach Application Development Manager for drinking water and desalination applications for the region EMEA. He holds a bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering of Hogeschool van Utrecht, The Netherlands. Bart joined Hach Company in 2016 as sales engineer for the municipal market in The Netherlands and joined the EMEA ADM team in 2021. Before joining HACH, Bart worked in sales and product management roles with pumps, analyzers and integrated solutions.

Application Development Manager, Hach (Dr. Lange Nederland B.V.)

Shayna joined SWAN in 2020 driven by her passion for collaborating for a resilient world. She held the role of Events Director, overseeing annual conferences, partner events, and international webinars, and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer, helping programmes and strategic initiatives run smoothly. Shayna also acts as the organisation’s focal point for the global SWAN Digital Twin Work Group and SWAN Interoperable Utility Group. Before joining SWAN, she completed an MBA specialising in environmental sustainability.

COO, SWAN Forum

Sales Engineer for customised clean- and waste water solutions with more than 15 years of experience in the industrial and municipal sector.

Sales Engineer, DAS Environmental Expert GmbH

展览总经理 Exhibition Manager, Aquatech China

Senior aquatisch ecoloog en waterkwaliteitsadviseur bij Witteveen+Bos
Wat is waterkwaliteit? Voor wie en wat is het belangrijk en hoe verbeter je het? Dat zijn vragen die Marloes al sinds jongs af aan bezig houden.
Als afgestudeerde Wageningen ging ze aan de slag bij waterschappen en Witteveen+Bos. Hierbij specialiseerde ze zich in de KRW en alles wat hier betrekking tot op heeft. Hoe doe je een goede analyse, welke tools zet je in? Hoe kom je tot beleid, hoe formuleer je maatregelen en voer je deze uit. Maar ook hoe geef je VTH vorm, en hoe toets je nu aan de KRW. Marloes is op alle vlakken werkzaam en geeft onder meer cursus over de KRW. Laat je dus verwonderen.

Senior aquatisch ecoloog en waterkwaliteitsadviseur bij Witteveen+Bos

Recognized water innovator, advocate, and entrepreneur, who led the development and commercialization of one of the world’s first Smart Sewer technologies, a game-changing, AI-fueled, wastewater optimization solution that is currently being applied in more than 40 cities around the world.
Now leveraging over 25 years of personal experience in Smart Sewer applications, to consult to forward-thinking utilities and commercial users of water. My goal is to help clients do more with less – improving performance while identifying cost-savings – through the use of Real Time Decision Support Systems, which combines IoT sensing, Digital Twin modeling, and advanced optimization engines.

Principal, HydroDigital

Head of Country, Samotics

Dipl.- Geol., MBA Reinhard Klaus
After graduating in geology, more than 15 years as managing director of his own engineering consulting firm specializing in water supply, municipal infrastructure and environmental remediation. 
Then 4 years as Managing Director at CDM Smith Consult, including Head of Municipal Infrastructure. 
From 2010 - 2018, after completing an executive MBA degree, self-employed consultant in international business development, specializing in drinking water supply, well construction, groundwater remediation. 
From 01/2019 – 03/2024 at Xylem as Business Development Manager Assessment Services & Digital Services for Central and Northern Europe.
Since 04/2024 with Rosenxt as New Market Development Manager  Water Line Infrastructure Team.

Asset Management, Rosen-NXT

Dr.-Ing. Markus Busch is an expert in Environmental Engineering with a focus on water, microbiology, and separation technologies. With over 25 years of industry experience in global technical leadership, he has worked in Germany, Switzerland, and Spain. Since 2022, he has served as Global Technology Manager at Lanxess Material Protection Products in Germany. Previously, he was Application Leader for Industrial Preservation at Dupont & IFF Microbial Control.
25+ years industry leadership in water technology  - Industrial microbial control:         water, paper, O&G, anti-fouling, preservation  - RO, NF, UF membranes, ion exchange  - Germany, Spain & Switzerland  - LANXESS (previously Dow, Dupont, IFF)  - Technical, regulatory, projects, organizations
Doctorate, "integrated UF/RO system development" Wroclaw University of Science & Technology
Master (Dipl.-Ing.), "anti-scalant evaluation" Technical University Berlin and Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Global Technology Manager, Lanxess

Xiao Zhang is a PhD researcher at Wetsus and University of Twente. Her research focuses on developing stable polyelectrolyte multilayer nanofiltration membranes, which are designed to perform effectively under harsh process conditions, such as high salinity and extreme pH. These advanced membranes aim to provide solutions for the efficient treatment of various industrial streams.

PhD Researcher, Wetsus

Stefan Schmidt studied mechanical engineering at the University of Siegen and started working for the SMS group GmbH in 1996. Over 25 years of experience in fluid & piping engineering of rolling mills and other plants for steel industry led finally into taking care of water solutions. Today Mr. Schmidt is part of the Water Treatment team of the SMS group developing new perspectives on the steel industry water footprint.

Water Expert at SMS group / Steel Industry

Dr. Alexander Finnegan is a postdoctoral researcher at Wetsus (the Netherlands), focusing on reducing microplastic pollution and advancing circular economy practices. His experience has been on projects related to plastic recycling, and quantifying environmental microplastics found in water and air. He obtained his PhD from the National University of Singapore in 2022 with a thesis titled “Freshwater and Atmospheric Plastic Pollution in Southeast Asia”.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Throughout my career, I have been active for 27 years as a project, process, and maintenance professional. My passion for energy and water management has driven me to develop innovative solutions and implement sustainable practices. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to efficiency, I have successfully completed numerous projects. My expertise and dedication make me a valued professional in the sector.

Capex Manager,  Puratos NV

I´m glady to introduce myself
My name is Norbert Rademacher. I´m a HACH Application Development Manager and hold a degree in electrical and enviromental engineering.
I´ve been advising and supporting HACH customer for almost 30years this year with my expertise in industrial water applications and water cycle management.

Application Development Manager, HACH

Steven Lam is Head of Technology at Gradiant, a water technology company that strives to treat the toughest waters. Over the past 14 years he has developed technologies related to thermal desalination, OARO, semi-batch ro, advanced oxidation processes, PFAS removal, and many more. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and specializes in thermodynamics and product commercialization.

Head of Technology, Gradiant

Nil Llopart Aguado has extensive experience in the field of desalination, having worked at Acciona Agua since 2016 within the desalination and new technologies group. He began his career as an operator at the Tordera pilot desalination plant, where he supported various projects, both internal and European funded project (LIFE DREAMER, INTEGROIL H2020, etc.), as well as in other regions and sectors. Currently, he serves as a project manager in Acciona's innovation department, participating in and contributing to the optimization of desalination processes through data analysis and pilot plant demonstrations, as well as occasionally contributing to their design.

RD project manager

Chris is the Director of Strategy and Insight at Isle and has over 15 years’ experience in industry. Chris looks after Isle’s Technology Scouting and Market Insight teams to provide clients with support on emerging market dynamics, new venture growth and innovation strategies.
He is experienced in working with innovators to bring their solutions to the water industry. His work spans across the lifecycle of new ventures, having supported teams seeking investment, piloting and developing new products and implementing mature solutions at an enterprise scale. He is also the Chief Commercial Officer for METzero, a wastewater treatment technology provider.
Chris previously worked at Bristol Water (UK) as the Head of Business Improvement and Innovation. He developed the company’s innovation framework and founded a business incubator to support startups bringing their new solutions to the industry.
Prior to Bristol Water, Chris worked for Baringa Partners supporting a range of Utility clients across the UK with operating model improvement projects. Chris holds a 1st class Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bath.

Director of Strategy and Insight, Isle Utilities

Paul Buijs holds a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology. He is active in water since 1990, in roles varying from research to consultancy and from sales to management. Paul has extensive experience in conventional water treatment, including desalination pretreatment and brackish and seawater reverse osmosis systems. From early 2018 to end of 2021, he was Center Liaison Officer for the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC)in Saudi Arabia, where he set up industrial scale translational research, working together with both governmental and private stakeholders. In 2022, he founded FirstWater Consultancy FZ-LLC (1st:water), based in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE). 1st:water focusses on innovation acceleration, validation and valorization, water treatment design and optimization, and strategic partnership development.

Founder, 1st:water

As the CEO of REDstack BV, Paula leads a company dedicated to addressing some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. From water treatment to CO2 capture and resource scarcity, REDstack is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge solutions that make a tangible, lasting impact.
REDstack develops and produce the world’s most advanced and efficient ElectroMembrane stacks. REDstack's technology is revolutionizing industries by enabling the harnessing of clean water, the recovery of valuable resources, and supporting the reuse of chemicals.

CEO, REDstack

Tiemen has been working on projects for over 12 years where raw materials from various organic residuals (wastewater, swill etc.) are recovered for reuse. From his studies at Wageningen UR and Radboud University, he has developed a broad view and multidisciplinary approach. He uses this for the development of circular and sustainable residential areas and consultancy work on dealing with wastewater in rural areas. Tiemen is also involved in the design, start-up and monitoring of various innovation and pilot projects, all aimed at local recovery of raw materials and purification of wastewater.

Director & Senior Consultant, LeAF

Jeroen Van Stappen has obtained his PhD in Geology in 2017 after which he continued in academic research with the focus on geo-chemical changes in the subsurface related to human activity. As of December 2022, Jeroen joined the Flanders Environment Agency as team lead of the inorganic and metal analyses of the laboratory. In 2024, the laboratory invested in the development of a biological section for effect based monitoring via Calux® tests. Since January 2025, Jeroen Van Stappen is the acting head of the laboratory until further notice.

head of laboratory Flanders Environment Agency / Team lead inorganics

Vice President and General Manager, McEwen Copper

As Founder and Director of The Water Agency, Gregor leads a team of consultants across South-East Asia, supporting international water projects and partnerships through inclusive stakeholder and community engagement, youth leadership and water education. In Vietnam, Gregor is the Project Director of the Mekong Salt Lab program that is experimenting and implementing practical (water) solutions to help farmers adapt to salinity.

Managing Director, The Water Agency

A passionate professional with more than decade of experience in closing the water loop in various types of challeging industrial and municipal wastewater streams with proven delivery of innovative recycling concepts. Talent for identifying the most cost-efficient solution for the client to build up a resilient and sustainable environment. 
Dimitra has developed innovative treatment solutions for mainly light & heavy industries and municipal applications, leveraging her deep technical knowledge and commitment to advancing water treatment technologies.
She is primarily working with leading industrial companies worldwide in water efficiency studies, wastewater treatment assessments and technology due diligence. Hence, her strong technical / commercial background contributes to an excellent understanding of the water market trends.

Senior Technology Consultant, Isle utilities

I am a consultant helping manufacturers and other organizations with product certification strategies focusing in the areas of POU / POE, Drinking Water Treatment, and Municipal Distribution. 
I am a voting member of the NSF Joint Committee on Drinking Water Treatment Units.
Leveraging the unique knowledge developed over 24+ years with NSF, while authoring over 200 trade publication articles, and presenting dozens of seminars around the globe, I can assist with deep technical understanding and a proven ability to craft bespoke solutions for specific situations and aspirations.

Consultant, Rick Andrew Consulting Services

DuPont

Head of Business Development , Oxyle

CEO, VWMS GmbH (Coliminder)

Kyle Postmus has over 11 years of experience in the water treatment industry and serves as the Global Program Leader for water treatment products, overseeing the certification of residential and commercial water treatment devices and municipal filters. He has been with NSF since 2013 and is an active observer on the DWTU (drinking water treatment units) Jand Public Drinking Water Equipement Performance Joint Committees.
Previously, Kyle served as NSF’s Test Technician for the Drinking Water Treatment Systems Lab, Project Manager in Water Treatment Chemicals and Filtration Media, and Senior Technical Manager of the DWTU Program. These teams help ensure the quality and safety of products used across the water industry.
His areas of expertise include:
Water quality issues and regulations NSF/ANSI standards and the standards development process Technical sales support and operational optimization Residential POU and POE water treatment devices

Global Program Leader - Water Treatment and Biosafety Cabinetry, NSF

Head of Business Analytics (Scottish Water)

Co-Founder & COO (Riverkin)

Senior Hydraulic Engineer, Qatium

Boom Chicago is an international creative group based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, that writes and performs sketch and improvisational comedy at their theater on the Rozengracht.
The group performs their own shows and hosts outside productions at their theater on the Rozengracht. The venue with three theaters also houses Boom Chicago for Business, and the Boom Chicago Academy and InterActing, their program for teenagers with autism.
Shows performed at Boom Chicago examine a range of subjects including privacy, the role of technology, Europe, the extreme right, Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn, 9/11, social media, the gig economy, AI and the Metaverse.
Comedy Central News (CCN), a news show on the Dutch Comedy Central TV channel, was created by Boom Chicago

The world-class improvisers

Senior Market Director, Niras

From a young age, Kris has been fascinated by the purity and movement of clean water, which inspired him to pursue a career dedicated to environmental sustainability. His passion led him to study Bioengineering and Environmental Sciences, with a personal mission to make the world a better, more sustainable place.
With nearly 20 years of experience in various technical, process, and sales roles within the water treatment sector, Kris has established himself as a true water expert. His deep knowledge spans biological wastewater treatment, process and potable water filtration, and water reuse. Additionally, Kris is well-versed in biogas production, nutrient recovery, and heat valorization, making him a versatile professional in environmental technologies.
EXPERTISE AND SPECIALIZATIONS
• Over 20 years of experience in the water treatment sector • Specialist in biological wastewater treatment, water filtration, and water reuse • Expert in biogas, nutrient recovery, and heat valorization.

Director, Nuoro

Director International Sales Chromafora, Chromaforma

Application Technology Manager

Kaustub Singh is a research engineer in the R&D of Royal FrieslandCampina, specializing in membrane driven separation and purification technologies. He earned his PhD from Wageningen University, working on electro-driven water purification and resource recovery. In addition, Kaustub has contributed to the field redox active flow batteries. His work in water desalination and energy storage has appeared in several publications and multiple filed patents. At FrieslandCampina, he continues to advance (electrochemical) membrane separation technologies to support sustainable industrial processes such as side stream handling and valorization.

Research Specialist, R&D, Royal Friesland Campina

Wouter is an environmental engineer with over 12 years of experience in sustainable water technology, resource recovery, and waste stream reuse. He is a results-driven advisor who values technological solutions and human processes. Passionate about making the world a better place, he has worked on phosphorus recycling and set up numerous projects on organic waste valorization. Since 2022, he has worked at LeAF, previously at Arcadis, Nutrient Platform, and REWIN West-Brabant.

Senior Consultant, LeAF

With over 10 years of experience in the water sector, Nikki has developed her expertise in designing and optimizing water treatment systems. She has successfully implemented innovative and sustainable practices, ensuring efficiency and reliability across all operations. Furthermore, Nikki upholds high standards in monitoring and environmental compliance.

Manager Technology, Azulatis

Hendrik Swart has focused on sustainable water technologies since the start of his academic career, earning a Master's in Water Technology from the Wetsus Academy. At REDstack, he contributed to the development of the electromembrane stack, transitioning from R&D to process engineering. Now, as a Sales Engineer, he helps bring this technology to market, enabling industries to save water, chemicals, and reduce costs. At Aquatech, he will discuss solutions for the industrial sector.

Sales Engineer, REDstack BV

Jan Bos is co-founder of Nuoro, a Belgian engineering cooperative with a focus on clean water and green energy.  Even before he could walk, Jan Bos’ parents took him out sailing. From a very young age, he was surrounded by the sea and the elements, which is where he developed a great passion for water, the environment, and the living world. Bio-engineering and environmental technologies are his habitat. His curiosity and adventurous spirit have led him around the world.
Jan Bos had the opportunity to live and work in Latin America on and off for about 10 years. He gained experience through dozens of fascinating projects, from small rural municipal wastewater treatment systems in Paraguay to state-of-the-art industrial wastewater and biogas projects in France, Australia, and Colombia. From conceptual design to basic and detailed engineering to commissioning and start-up: as a process engineer, he loves to see his designs come to life.

Experienced international drinking water expert, currently co-owner of software company Spatial Insight.

International business developer, Spatial Insight

Hessel is trained as hydrologist. Within Deltares, he gained 15 years of experience with flood and drought risk datasets and modelling, and flood and drought monitoring and forecasting. His approach to design of technology and projects is strongly anchored in co-design. Over the past 5 years, his focus has been on research and development of locally sustainable technology for data related to natural hazard risks, and creating a bridge between local entrepreneurs with skills to collect data sets, and local and international audiences, that require such data sets. Within Rainbow Sensing, He conceived the idea for OpenRiverCam, the first entirely free and open-source suite for operational management of river monitoring sites using camera observations. Within Delft, University, he supervises students that work on affordable or repurposed technology for environmental monitoring.

Director, Rainbow Sensing

Mr Wilbert Menkveld has a BSc. degree in Chemical engineering from Saxion University, Enschede and a MSc. degree in Environmental Technology and Urban Environmental Management from Wageningen University & Research Center in the Netherlands. He has more than 27 years of experience in design, engineering and optimisation of water and biomass plants for many different markets.
He worked from 2002 until 2013 as senior industrial wastewater expert and manager industrial water treatment at Witteveen+Bos Consulting Engineers in the Netherlands. In 2013 he started as Director Innovation & Technology at Nijhuis SAUR Industries in the Netherlands. Since 2023 he is Chief Technology Officer for SAUR and it’s industrial division Nijhuis Saur industries. He is as CTO responsible for Innovation strategy, development of new technologies/solutions, market introduction and technology selection for water and resource projects.

CTO Saur / Nijhuis Saur Industries

I’m a Spanish engineer with over 25 years’ experience specializing in wastewater projects and project management. My journey began in Spain, where I started working as a process designer and project manager, primarily focusing on industrial wastewater treatment systems.
For the past 15 years I’m living in the Netherlands, Amsterdam, where I’ve been involved in managing projects related to wastewater, drinking water and water governance. My expertise lies in the realms of sustainability and innovation, area’s I’m deeply passionate about. 
In essence, my goal is to deliver tangible results and driving positive change within the realm of water management, using my expertise and leadership skills to make a meaningful impact in this crucial field.
I am currently working between my two countries. In Spain, I focus on industrial water management in collaboration with Arcadis. In the Netherlands, I work as a water expert, collaborating with the water boards. Trying to integrate the knowledge from both countries.

Water matter expert, Arcadis Spain

Myron oversees the implementation of ZwitterCo's growth strategies in North America and around the world, driving partnerships and the commercial adoption of the company's breakthrough zwitterionic membrane technology.Myron's leadership in the water treatment industry began at Osmonics, Inc., a pioneering membrane technology provider that was subsequently acquired by GE Water & Process Technologies, then Suez Water Technologies and Solutions, and eventually Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions.  Myron held increasingly senior positions throughout those corporate transitions, driving international expansion efforts across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and leading key account strategies for some of the largest global industrial clients. His expertise also expanded across core water treatment unit processes and service offerings, including chemical and monitoring solutions, engineered systems, and industrial design-build and financed solutions.  Myron holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and a master's degree in management from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

CCO(Chief Commercial Officer), Zwitterco

Director at BioDetection Systems in Amsterdam, The Netherlands since 2006.
Experienced in international effect-based monitoring tool development and applications since 1992. Former Managing Director and Head of several laboratories at Kaneka Corp. (Japan), Eurofins (GER) and SGS (GER/USA). 
University education at Tübingen University (Germany, 1992-1997, PhD), Lancaster University (1997, post-doc) and Kyoto University (1998-2001, post-doc).
He has ample experience in initiating/coordinating of various international collaborative research projects in many kinds of applications (ROHS, REACH, environment, water monitoring & treatment, wildlife & human health). 
His area of expertise spans innovative approaches in application of various (bio)analysis tools with many kinds of chemicals (EDCs, POPs, PFAS) in many different matrices (environment, feed/food, wildlife and human monitoring). 
He has been involved in more than 150  publications & cases related to these pollutants in various countries. 
He is currently involved in several EU Grean Deal water projects such as PROMISCES (PFAS and PMTs in the water cycle), SafeCrew (Desinfection byproducts), OneBlue (Marine water pollution) and HOLISTIC (Urban water pollution) as well as in Risk3Hunter for non-animal methods (NAMs).

Director, BioDetection Systems bv

Daniele Strongone is the General Manager for AWC Europe, the Spain-based division of American Water Chemicals (AWC) looking after the EMEIA and APAC regions. He is also the President and one of the Co-founders of the Water Positive Think Tank. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Napoli Federico II (Italy) and a Master’s Degree in Chemical and Bioprocesses Engineering from the Engineering School of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). With a passion for sustainability and experience in Europe, Australia, Africa and Middle East, he has worked in several areas of the water treatment industry such as chemicals, equipment, drinking water and wastewater project management, leading business strategies and growing revenue. His biggest mission is to help leaving a positive impact on the water resources.

General Manager, American Water Chemicals (AWC)

Marta Faneca Sanchez is a senior hydrogeologist at Deltares with over 15 years of experience in groundwater management and modelling. Marta holds a dregree in geology and hydrogeology from the University of Barcelona and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. She specializes in assessing groundwater systems, with expertise in evaluating the impact of droughts, defining risk indicators, and designing strategies to mitigate negative effects. Her work integrates field work, modelling, and collaborative approaches to analyze climate, socio-economic scenarios, and the impact of strategies on groundwater. She also has extensive experience in coastal groundwater assessment and management, focussing on freshwater availability and long-term water security measures. In recent years Marta has been actively involved in Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) projects, contributing to conceptual designs and exploring MAR's role in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).  Marta has worked in projects across The Netherlands, Spain, Bolivia, Bangladesh, Kenya, Chile, Vietnam, Colombia and Mozambique, engaging in both technical roles and project coordination.

Specialist Hydrogeology, Deltares

Irene Marian is a Technical Sales Consultant with a degree in Chemical Sciences and over 15 years of experience in the water treatment and desalination industry.
 
She began her professional career in the pharmaceutical industry at Lilly Co., where she developed a focus on excellence and continuous improvement. 
 
Over 17 years ago, she joined Adiquimica, an international Spanish company specialized in water treatment products and services. Initially representing their commercial interests locally, her role soon expanded to include national and international business development, as well as developing transversal business lines such as IAQ. 
 
Working in business development, she found her passion in membrane technology, particularly reverse osmosis, and today combines her experience in the municipal sector with industrial demands to achieve increasingly greater water recoveries. 
 
Currently, she specializes in client and project management, sales, business development, and technical expertise within Adiquimica's Technical-Sales Department.

Sales Consultant, Adiquímica

With 18 years of experience working in the water sector, Ruben Wentink has developed a strong reputation as a strategic advisor in the Dutch water industry. As a strategic advisor for five years, he has focused on advising drinking water companies on critical topics such as the impacts of climate change on drinking water, strategies for reducing water consumption and navigating the complexities of water governance.
In the last two years, Ruben has shifted his focus to stormwater management, at FieldFactors,  leveraging his expertise to address climate impacts in urban environments. His work spans cities, sports facilities, and industries, where  innovative strategies are developed to mitigate the challenges posed by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
This holistic approach to sustainable water management helps to create resilient water systems for the future.

Snr. Business Developer, FieldFactors

I am a general manager and an civil engineer served in the Korea Water Resources Corporation. I have had extensive experiences in the water sector including water resources development, overseas projects, climate change adaptation and corporate strategy since 2005. Currently, I am leading the global marketing and project development leveraging the digital water management technology in the water utility such as digital twin water management platform, AI-enabled water treatment plant and smart water network management of K-water.

General Manager, K-water

DITEC Manager (Digitalization, Technology, and Circularity)

Sales manager, Danfoss

Over 10 years of experience as a researcher at the Desalination Technology Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. Successfully, I have led multiple research projects as a principal investigator, contributing to advancements in desalination technologies and water treatment. My efforts have been recognized and I have been nominated by the global prize for innovation in desalination and the 8th edition of King Hassan II great world water prize.
 
Expertise
• Atmospheric Water Harvesting: participateDevelopment of device to extract water from air in arid regions. • Metal-Organic Framework Synthesis: Innovation of materials and devices to capture harmful gases contributing to acid rain. • Polymer and Ceramic Membrane Synthesis: desalination and water treatment technologies to improve efficiency of membrane and reduce the environmental impact of traditional methods. • Micro - Nano plastics in Water: Development of advanced detection methods and mitigation strategies for sustainable water management.

Researcher, King abdulaziz city for science and technology

VP Client Success (Daupler)

Tenair

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