Industrial Water Europe Digital Solutions

Video interview: Hein Molenkamp on international water clusters

Wednesday, 12 October 2022

Hein Molenkamp, managing director of the Water Alliance believes the hubs-to-hubs model will be essential to meet future water challenges.

Connecting international water clusters

The hubs-to-hubs cluster model will be essential to meet future water challenges.

That’s what Hein Molenkamp, managing director of the Water Alliance believes.

On the stage at the recent European Water Technology Week (EWTW) in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, Molenkamp co-hosted the panel on connecting global water hubs and reinforced the 'major role' clusters will have in 'connecting global companies and organisations'.

“If you want to do business in other countries, the local cluster can help you navigate the pitfalls.”

Speaking to Aquatech Online at the event, Molenkamp said: "The clusters who were on stage all stated that this cooperation is a good way forward to help new technologies go either from here to the US or Singapore or from the other way around to the US or Europe."

Highlights from the video interview can be seen below:

He added: "It's important that as a company, if you want to do business in other countries, the local cluster can help you navigate the pitfalls.

"They will have a quick scan of the market and say whether you should adapt your technology a little bit to a regional rule and or legislation. And that is where clusters can make the difference.”

The Water Alliance is a partnership of public and private companies, government agencies and knowledge institutes involved in water technology in the Netherlands.

It focuses on innovative and sustainable water technology that can be used worldwide.

During the week, Dutch company Ferr-Tech won the Water Alliance Innovation Stimulation Award (WIS) for its ferrate (VI)-based water treatment innovation.