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WaterProof is the magazine of the Water Alliance, a partnership

between government, research institutions and industry in

the field of innovative and sustainable water technology.

From its base, the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden, the Water

Alliance builds on the ‘water technology innovation chain’; a

process whereby new ideas from universities, laboratories and

test sites are converted into worldwide marketable products.

WaterProof provides regional, national and global information

on developments, results and background in the field of water

technology.

Editor in Chief Menno Bakker Journal Management Brenda

de Jong, Narvic Media & Communicatie Text Contributors

Henk Dilling, Casper Ferwerda, Jac van Tuin, Menno Bakker

and many others Translation Context Talen, Matthijs Plijnaar

Graphic Design Jan Robert Mink Photography Frans Fazzi,

Nico Pakvis, Fotobureau Hoge Noorden and many others

Printer Drukkerij Van der Eems

WATER AND WATERTECHNOLOGY“We forget that the water cycle and

the life cycle are one”

08NEWS IN BRIEF

FROM MATCHSEEKING TO MATCHMAKING

A strong idea should get the attention it deserves

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN FROM IDEA TO BUSINESS A remarkable piece of architecture by

GEAR, a cooperative of four architectural

firms from Friesland

VISIT TO AKRON WATER SUPPLY (U.S.A.)Blue-green algae found in surface water

is a big problem for governments and

water companies

DEMO SITESa vital part of the innovation ecosystem

TREASURES THEN AND NOW“I am working to achieve a personal dream”

THANKS! FROM WATER ALLIANCEto all of our members

CONTENT of this WaterProof

AND:

INTRO HEIN MOLENKAMP 03

INFOGRAPHIC 34

MEMBERS OF THE WATER ALIANCE 50

14 24

36 40

44 48

04

02 |

Worldwide, some 780 million people lack

access to safe drinking water. Each year 3

million young children die from diseases that

are caused by poor access to clean water,

sanitary facilities and hygiene. Anyone who

grasps the implications of these figures can

only be glad that the water technology industry

is growing fast worldwide, as this also means

that more solutions will become available.

It is also good to know that in all of these

developments, ecology and economics go

hand in hand. Because economics is ultimately

the driving force for continuity, as numerous

examples have demonstrated.

On that global playing field of water

technology, both in terms of knowledge

and business, WaterCampus Leeuwarden is

starting to play an increasingly substantial role

as a hub for water technology, where science,

applied research, education and business all

come together. The WaterCampus and all the

facilities in its immediate vicinity, have now

developed into a fully-fledged ‘European

Water Technology Hub’. A place where new

ideas are born. Where they are able to scale

up and demostrate their product. A place, too,

where entrepreneurs in the water technology

sector get a firm helping hand, in search of

new markets worldwide.

Five years of the Water Alliance - the

partnership that unites businesses,

governments and knowledge institutes in

water technology - is something to be proud

of. In the back of this magazine, you will find a

listing of all the partners who helped make this

possible. This is also a fitting moment to take

a look back, and reflect in retrospect on all the

things we have accomplished together with

all these partners. We do that with this Special

Edition of WaterProof.

“The past must be a springboard, not a

sofa”, former British prime minister Harold

Macmillan (1894-1986) once said. We fully

share that sentiment. Therefore, in the year

2015, we take a brief look back from our

springboard. In part, too, to see if a clear line

can be distinguished towards growth, in the

INTRO by Hein Molenkamp

SOFA & SPRINGBOARD

| 03

direction of the objectives we have set. That is:

continued development of the WaterCampus

Leeuwarden and the entire water technology

sector in the Netherlands in general and in

the Northern Netherlands in particular, into

a place that serves as a source of knowledge

and inspiration. A place for working hard to

address the water-related challenges that

face the world. A place, moreover, that is fast

becoming a hot-bed for job creation.

John A. Jorritsma Chairman of the Water Alliance Supervisory

Board, Royal Commissioner in the province of Friesland

Hein Molenkamp Managing Director Water Alliance

UVIDIS TAKES PRIZEThe UV LifeShower by Uvidis, a specialist in legionella

detection from Enkhuizen, the Netherlands, recently

won the FGNoviteiten award. The award was founded

to stimulate development in the fields of facility

and building management. Uvidis’s innovation is a

revolutionary and easy to install shower unit which

minimizes the risk of infection by microorganisms (such

as Legionella).

JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN MANNEN VAN STAAL AND WATER TECHNOLOGY COMPANY DWP

Dutch Water Partners (DWP) and Mannen van

Staal, both from Leeuwarden, the Netherlands,

have established a joint venture (JV) – Dutch Steel

Profiles. The JV has been created to meet the need

for prefabricated water tanks and drinking water

purification systems. An initial pilot has already been

scheduled in Ghana, where the Ghanaian company

Kingdom Waters has expressed an interest. In January,

DWP and the organisation Aqua for All signed a letter of

intent, aimed at obtaining funding for the production

and delivery of prefabricated drinking water purification

systems to Ghana.

The signing took place during the WaterLink event in

the WTC in Leeuwarden, which was organized by the

Water Alliance in celebration of its fifth anniversary in

January 2015. The request for prefabricated systems

recently arose from the Ghanaian company Kingdom

Waters. The company sells water and needs reliable

storage tanks combined with a reliable purification

technique. Dutch Steel Profiles is able to meet that

request, aided by the expertise and facilities at Mannen

van Staal.

Specifically, Dutch Steel Profiles will be building

flexible corrugated tanks that are particularly useful

in developing countries for getting drinking water

to places where it is otherwise unavailable, in a safe

FINGERPRINTINGDrinking water company Vitens operates over one

hundred groundwater extraction sites and, together

with research institute TNO, has now mapped out the

DNA profile of 32 of these sites. In doing so, they have

mapped the microbiological composition from the

source to the tap. Vitens expects the implementation of

DNA Fingerprinting to make lab work cheaper and more

‘adventurous’. “We are confident that if the technology

exists and the rules allow it, a large portion of the current

tests can be replaced by DNA readings”, according

to Bendert de Graaf at Vitens. By mapping the DNA

profiles, so-called DNA Fingerprinting, Vitens is working

on a method to be able to measure microbiological

groundwater quality in real time. The technology is used

in collaboration with 3M, Wavin, research institute TNO,

KWR and drinking water company Oasen

(source: Waterforum online).

The Uvidis Team

04 |

and versatile manner. They will be doing so under the

name “Water Guard”. “The tanks have a lot of other

applications too”, says Theunis Bakker, director at

Mannen van Staal. “We’ve noticed a broad demand

in the market, and it’s not limited to Africa; NPI from

Tzummarum, the Netherlands, who we already have

a good relationship with, has also asked us to produce

the tanks.”

In total, Dutch Steel Profiles’ ambitions require an

investment of approximately 1.6 million euro. The

company expects to produce several hundred to a

thousand tanks per year. The funding has not yet been

fully secured, but given the growing demand, the

founders are optimistic regarding the project’s feasibility.

“We are currently building a pilot system”, says DWP’s

Peter Bulsing. “The demand exists and the Aqua for All

letter of intent is really important to us, because they

understand these kind of projects and have a large

network, which can help procure the necessary funding.”

Dick Bouman from Aqua for All is pleased with the

partnership. “The involvement of a reliable Ghanaian

entrepreneur, someone who has already earned his

stripes and who knows the market, ensures further

continuity.”

CHECK OUR VIDEO UPDATES AT:WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATERALLIANCENL

SCIENCE AND PASSION

This is Hans Matthijs, of the University of Amsterdam,

talking passionately with representatives of Akron Water

Supply in Akron, Ohio, about the method he developed

to selectively target and combat cyanobacteria (blue-

green algae) using a low concentration of hydrogen

peroxide. It took place during the ‘WaterSquare ’

organized by the Water Alliance. Matthijs applied the

method in various Dutch lakes in collaboration with

ARCADIS-Netherlands. Results from that research were

very positive. Now, together with the University of Akron,

studies are being conducted to determine whether the

successful Dutch approach to combating blue-green

algae can also be introduced in the USA and applied

in partnership with ARCADIS-US. It turns out that

blue-green algae, more than other algae species, are

sensitive to low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is a mild oxidizing agent that

interferes with the photosynthetic apparatus of blue-

green algae, killing the algae. An additional advantage

is that hydrogen peroxide, in combination with

heterotrophic bacteria, also breaks down the microcystin

toxins leaked by blue-green algae. The advantage of

that is just a few days after treatment the water in a lake

or reservoir is free of this dangerous toxin and again

suitable for recreation or, as in the case of Akron, for

production of drinking water.

NEW METHODS FOR FAST DETECTION OF FECAL CONTAMINATIONWaterlaboratorium Noord (WLN) has developed new

Molecular Methods for the detection of indicators

of pathogenic microorganisms such as E.coli and

Enterococci. The new methods reduce the time from

sampling to result to 4 hours. The methods are based on

the detection of certain parts of specific genes, present

in these bacteria.

The methods are validated according ISO-validation

standards and at this moment the methods are

implemented within the Dutch drinking water

laboratories. Eventually the aim is to make new ISO

standards for fast detection of Fecal parameters in

drinking water.

Source: www.wln.nl

AMERICAN WATER AND DUTCH COMPANY LG SONIC SIGN PARTNERSHIPIn April, Dutch manufacturer of algae control systems

LG Sonic and American Water announced a partnership

to perform ultrasonic algae control in water treatment

plants. LG Sonic (also known as LG Sounds) is the

first European company that succeeded to become

a certified innovation partner of American Water.

America’s largest publicly traded water and wastewater

utility company, American Water, successfully tested LG

Sonic’s MPC-Buoys that monitors and controls harmful

algae bloom using ultrasonic technology. In 2014,

American Water installed four buoys in a drinking water

reservoir at the Canoe Brook water treatment plant in

Short Hills, New Jersey. Extensive testing conducted

during 2014 showed that the installed buoys had a

significant impact on the algae, allowing the treatment

plant to reduce chemical consumption by more than

20% and reducing the concentration of compounds that

can cause undesirable tastes and odors.

Source: www.lgsonic.com/news

LG Sonic Manager Lisa Brand, attending the U.S. Algal

Toxin Conference 2015, Akron, Ohio, april 2015

| 05

Too much phosphate in the surface water is considered

to be one of the main causes of cyanobacterial

contamination. It was therefore all the more remarkable

that in the Dutch study simulations showed the

phosphate load to have no influence on the duration

of the effect. “Apparently, other, still unknown factors

are more decisive in preventing the blue-green algae

from reasserting itself immediately. We know that the

hydrogen peroxide itself is completely broken down

after a day, and that the water in the lake remains

perfectly suitable for algae growth, because single-

celled green algae actually increased in number after

the blue-green algae disappeared. We have a number

of ideas and are working hard at the University of

Amsterdam to provide a more in-depth explanation

for this interesting finding, which could improve water

quality in the long term.”

Matthijs presented his study during the US Algal Toxin

Conference 2015 of the Water Alliance. A day later, the

scientist was a member of a consortium that held talks

with Akron Water Supply. These resulted in a number of

concrete opportunities for the participating companies

(see elsewhere in this magazine, ed.).

TOO MUCH PHOSPHATE IN THE SURFACE WATER IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF

THE MAIN CAUSES OF CYANOBACTERIAL CONTAMINATION

06 |

BlueLeg Monitor and Metalmembranes

have received a grant from the Fryslân

Fernijt innovation program for their

breakthrough innovations in water

technology, respectively EcoWatch and

Better Wetter. Both companies - together

with three others - were successfully

assisted by the Water Alliance. In total, the

five projects will receive 765,576 euro.

Another five projects on innovative water

technology are running for a grant.

The EcoWatch is being developed by

BlueLeg Monitor in association with

Water Insight BV, the INCAS3 foundation,

and Waterschap Noorderzijlvest. The

tool provides water boards such as water

authorities a way to continuously monitor

surface water quality. This is an important

step towards a comprehensive water

management system, enabling water

managers to act faster and more focused

in order to ensure the quality of water.

“With the development of the EcoWatch,

we plan to continuously monitor the

surface water quality, in order to allow

management measures to take place

faster and more cost efficiently”, explains

Hans Wouters, owner of BlueLeg Monitor.

“Among other things, this could result in

less bathing areas being closed to the

public.” The EcoWatch is scheduled to be

tested at the Paterswoldse Lake this year.

The Better Wetter project, carried out

by Metalmembranes in association with

Vitens, Biotrack, and Microdish, also

received support. Metalmembranes’

metal membranes with ceramic inner

layer can be implemented directly into

Biotrack’s Aquascope and Microdish’s

microchips. This allows biological

contaminants to be detected faster, more

precisely, and more efficiently. “Sampling

drinking water and then analysing it in

the lab is extremely time-consuming.

It can take anywhere from two days to

two weeks to get results back. Using our

membranes, we expect to bring that

down to a couple of hours”, explains

Sybrand Metz, CTO of Metalmembranes.

The next WaterProof Magazine will

provide an overview of all innovative

water technology projects supported by

the regional innovation program Fryslân

Fernijt. Companies interested in these

innovative watertechnologies and/or

looking for partnerships with Dutch water

technology companies are welcome to

contact the Water Alliance.

IT PROVIDES A WAY TO

CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR

SURFACE WATER QUALITY

“SAMPLING DRINKING WATER IS

EXTREMELY TIME-CONSUMING”

REGIONAL FRYSLÂN FERNIJT GRANT FOR WATER TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS

Sybrand Metz, CTO of Metalmembranes

| 07

Benten Water Solutions has been

awarded a loan of 55,000 euro by the

Bison Foundation to set up the first formal

test centre for water quality sensors in

Europe. The test centre will use facilities

of the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden,

the Netherlands and it comes under the

European Environmental Technology

Verification (ETV) programme. This was

announced by Benten Water Solution on

29 April.

“This means that we will test sensors

under strict conditions”, says Corina

Carpentier, founder and Managing

Director of Benten Water Solutions.

“All these strict requirements result in a

formally accepted European certificate.

Our goal is to have the ETV certificate

play a leading role in the European

market.”

The centre will be established in

collaboration with the Water Application

Centre and the Center of Expertise Water

Technology (CEW) and will use facilities

of the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden,

made possible by the Bison Foundation

loan. The foundation was set up to

“WE WILL TEST SENSORS UNDER STRICT CONDITIONS”

BENTEN RECEIVES FUNDING financially support start-ups, especially

those in the water technology and health

sectors. “The knife cuts both ways”, says

Carpentier. “There are many clever

companies in Europe which develop

wonderful technologies and deserve to

be brought to market. Thanks to the test

centre they will not only find their way

to market but be awarded a certificate

guaranteeing the quality of the sensors.”

“We are extremely happy to have

been given the foundation’s trust and

the possibility to stimulate these new

technologies. As a leader in the water

technology sector, you have to innovate

and invest: the test centre allows us to do

precisely that.”

About Benten Water Solutions

Benten Water Solution is a young

company that is specialised in monitoring

of water quality. It offers a range of

consulting services, bringing to bear its

extensive experience in these fields to

assist investors in choosing the most and

economically efficient investment.

| 07

08 |

WATER AND WATER TECHNOLOGY from a regional, national and international perspective

WATER AND THE WORLD“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one”, said French explorer and researcher Jacques Yves Cousteau (1910-1997). With this statement, the man who spent many decades studying the world’s oceans emphasized the need for integrated and coherent water management. Dutch water technology companies have a key role to play in transforming this vision into reality. Dutch innovations help, for example, by measuring water quality, improving water purification systems and offering intelligent approaches to sanitation. But the distribution of services, products and knowledge is important too. This continues to be a challenge for water technology entrepreneurs and researchers. Where do we stand in meeting this challenge – regionally, nationally and internationally? Let’s zoom in to take a closer look.

United in the Global Compact Cities Programma:

f.l.t.r. Henk Deinum, Hein Molenkamp, Helen Scott

and Dean Amhaus.

| 09

WATER AND WATER TECHNOLOGY from a regional, national and international perspective

The figures are astonishing: water covers

two-thirds of our planet, but still only 3

per cent of the water stock is freshwater,

and of that just 1 per cent is available

for human use. Alas, this does not (yet)

include all people, because for example

in some African countries south of the

Sahara (Ethiopia, Nigeria and Chad)

there is almost no freshwater, because

there it hardly ever rains. “The price of

water is only a fraction of the value of

water, which could well be considered

the world’s most valuable asset”, said

Petra Hellegers, Special Professor of

the Economics of Water and Climate

Change at Wageningen University, in

her inaugural address a few years ago.

She predicted that demand for water

would increase further in the future. The

reason: population growth combined

with urbanization (by 2050, 70% of the

world’s population will live in the city),

which implies changing lifestyles and

changing eating patterns for which more

water is often required. “In addition,

processes such as globalization and

the liberalization of the world market

are making countries more dependent

on one another for their food supplies.

Climate change also increases uncertainty

about the demand for water and about

how much water will be available and

when. Finally, there is the rising price of

energy, which affects not only the cost of

transporting and purifying water, but also

the demand for water to produce energy

from alternative sources, such as crops for

bio-energy and hydropower.”

10 |

WATER AND WATER TECHNOLOGY from a regional, national and international perspective

RegionalAn enormous challenge, certainly,

for water technology companies and

researchers. Because it is obvious that

we’re looking at a growth market. The

question is: where do we stand in it?

Regionally, nationally and internationally?

“Research by BBO/Grontmij confirms

that the water technology sector in the

Northern Netherlands is a growth sector

with high added value”, says Hans Konst

who during the Water Alliance’s first five

years was the member of the Provincial

Executive of Friesland in charge of

economic development, among other

responsibilities. “The sector grew despite

the crisis to more than 3,000 employed

individuals and a turnover of 400 million

euros.”

The former provincial executive member

can be proud of all that was achieved

during his years in office. In Leeuwarden

the clustering of a broad range of

activities and facilities for knowledge and

education at multiple levels has produced

an innovation ecosystem, part of which is

a unique continuous line of education in

the field of water technology. Konst: “That

means every aspect of the innovation

process can be supported. Starting from

ideas and research, new products and

processes can be brought to market

more quickly. That’s a benefit for the

end-user and for the companies involved,

because this structure saves them a lot of

money.”

The SME desk

Important components of the innovation

ecosystem are, according to Konst, the

Water Application Centre (a state-of-the-

art lab for SMEs with student assistants

available), some five plug-and-play demo

sites where companies can test their

new technology and devices under field

conditions, among others, in sewage

treatment, drinking water abstraction

and on wastewater from a hospital, and

with showcase projects featuring new

technology, including decentralized

wastewater treatment (WaterSchoon

Sneek) and energy generation out of

water (Blue Energy Aflsuitdijk). There

is also the cluster organization, Water

Alliance. It too plays a vital role, according

to Konst, as an conduit for collaboration

between businesses, knowledge centres,

educational institutions and government,

on the path from knowledge to business.

“The Water Alliance provides clustering,

profiling, branding and valorization

for the activities that take place at the

WaterCampus. Its membership numbers

have grown fast. That has made the Water

Alliance an important partner in water

technology, and also for the entire small

and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

sector in the Netherlands.”

“the sector grew despite the crisis”

Hans Konst

| 11

WATER AND WATER TECHNOLOGY from a regional, national and international perspective

NationalExactly; a supportive function, for the entire Dutch water technology industry. Meaning that it is fitting to look through the window to the national level. In 2011, the Dutch government identified nine sectors in which the Netherlands excels worldwide. The objective: to make these sectors even stronger. One of these ‘Top Sectors’ is water (water technology, delta technology and maritime technology). Within this Top Sector, government, industry and research institutions will work as partners to generate knowledge and innovation. Agreements on this have been formalized in so-called ‘innovation contracts’. “The world needs us”, says Hans Huis in ’t Veld, spokesperson and flag bearer of the Top Sector Water. “The Dutch water sector possesses crucial knowledge and expertise that can help reduce and, in the long term, solve international water-related challenges. Together with other sectors and international partners, we can produce

compelling and sustainable solutions for

future generations.” According to Huis in

’t Veld, these solutions could also provide

a strong boost to the Dutch economy. He

points out that the international market is

large and growing rapidly. “The target is

to double the added value of the Dutch

water sector in the period up to 2020”,

he says. “That ambition and international

competition force us to speed up our

pace and to join forces.”

Pride

He sees major opportunities in

collaboration between the maritime

sector, delta technology and water

technology. “There are areas of overlap,

and that’s precisely where we can

seize opportunities. The Netherlands

in 2020 as the Centre of Excellence of

the international water industry is an

appealing prospect.” Huis in ’t Veld is

proud of the milestones achieved these

past decades by Dutch companies

and scientists. “This has meant, among

other things, that we have access to

clean water of the very best quality. The

Dutch knowledge and technology that

was developed to produce water to

these very highest standards of quality

for drinking and for industrial uses is

now being applied and sold around the

globe. This is also true of our knowledge

and technology related to the treatment

and reuse of wastewater. Those are

achievements we can be proud of.”

“the world needs us”

Hans Huis in ’t Veld

12 |

WATER AND WATER TECHNOLOGY from a regional, national and international perspective

InternationalOpportunities are everywhere, then, on the international stage too. But international expansion requires energy, patience and, most of all, contacts. So it’s not without reason that matchmaking and networking form the core of the Water Alliance’s activities. And naturally collaboration too. That is how the Water Alliance and The Water Council, based in US city of Milwaukee, came to agree to tighten their cooperation. Director Hein Molenkamp, of the Water Alliance, and President and CEO Dean Amhaus of The Water Council, made that announcement during the official presentation of the City of Leeuwarden as an ‘innovating city’ of the United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme in December 2014.During the celebratory activities, CEO Amhaus indicated that within his water technology centre there was particular interest in the demo sites affiliated with the WaterCampus Leeuwarden. He invited Dutch water technology firms to come to Milwaukee to test their new technologies under US circumstances as well.The Water Council in Milwaukee is an American alliance of knowledge centres and businesses involved in water technology. The Council has been an active participant in the United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme since 2009. Council representatives were on hand in Leeuwarden to strengthen collaboration with WaterCampus Leeuwarden in the UN programme.

Director Hein Molenkamp of the Water Alliance has high expectations of the partnership. “We’ve been talking with each other for years, but it has never resulted in a concrete project. Now that Leeuwarden has officially received the ‘innovating city’ designation, we are going to explore how in the framework of the UN programme we can intensify our collaboration in the area of water technology.” Molenkamp points out that, like the Water Alliance, The Water Council also has many small water technology companies among its membership. Likewise, both organizations help member companies develop export activities. During the ceremony, CEO Amhaus of The Water Council also emphasized the similarities between his council and the WaterCampus Leeuwarden. “The water technology companies affiliated with us worked mainly in the region, but now they also want to enter the international water markets. We help them do that, with the support of the global network of the UN Global Compact Cities Programme.” Amhaus sees considerable potential in mutually building on the concept of the demonstration sites, where water technology companies can test their new pilot systems under real-world conditions. “Dutch firms could come to Milwaukee to test their new technologies with us, and American companies could come here to use the existing demo sites in Leeuwarden”, according to Amhaus.

UN representative Helen Scott welcomed the participation of WaterCampus Leeuwarden, because the campus has already proven itself extremely successful in fostering collaboration between science, education, knowledge centres and the business sector. “That is actually one of the main pillars of our programme. We invite the 92 cities participating in the Cities Programme to initiate new projects to improve living conditions within their cities through these kinds of broad collaborative efforts. The involvement of citizens, in particular, has produced some surprising results.”

But the Water Alliance is involved in other international developments too. Elsewhere in this WaterProof you will find an article about a recent conference jointly organized by the Water Alliance and the Akron Global Water Alliance, in Akron, Ohio (USA).

Dean Amhaus

| 13

WATER AND WATER TECHNOLOGY from a regional, national and international perspective

“Dutch firms could

come to Milwaukee”

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to matchmaking

14 |

Juliette Douglas

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to matchmaking

FROM MATCH-SEEKING TO MATCHMAKING

“EVENTS AND TRADE SHOWS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CORE BUSINESS”

“Events and trade shows are an

important part of our core business”,

says Juliette Douglas, Water Alliance’s

zealous marketing manager. “With them

we support our partners’ networking

and profiling activities, both nationally

and internationally. A big part of that is

seeking out potential collaborations.

With organizations like the Netherlands

Water Partnership (NWP) and Envaqua (a

merger of the former VLM and AquaNL),

we organize, for instance, exhibits and

presentations at the major national and

international trade shows. Examples?

We were at the Aqua Netherlands trade

A strong idea should get the attention it deserves. That is why the Water Alliance helps entrepreneurs

link with business contacts both in the Netherlands and abroad. How? Through networking, trade

show presentations, matchmaking sessions and cross-sector events. These activities have delivered

excellent results during the past years. WaterProof delved into some of these. From Leeuwarden

to Canada. And from Singapore to Akron (Ohio, USA), where we get a look behind the scenes of

international matchmaking.

show in Gorinchem, the Singapore

International Water Week (SIWW), IFAT

Munich, Aquatech Amsterdam, the World

Water Forum in Marseille and the Weftec

exhibition in New Orleans.” Our objective

is twofold, Douglas continues. “We help

businesses in our network achieve their

internationalization plans and we link the

WaterCampus as a water technology

hotspot with other water hubs in the

world. Such as in Singapore.”

The desire to connect is mutual, it turns

out. “We receive numerous delegations

each year, for instance, from companies

and organizations in Singapore.”

Douglas: “It shows that throughout the

world, WaterCampus Leeuwarden is

increasingly seen as the heart of the

European Water Technology Hub. We

notice that this has made it easier for us

to arrange demonstrations and other

activities for our members. Moreover,

when an incoming trade mission visits

the WaterCampus we always try to

get member companies with relevant

technology involved in the visit. For that

reason, we always ask incoming missions

ahead of time what the key issues are in

their country of origin.”

| 15

16 |

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to match-making

events and tradeshows

| 17

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to matchmaking

Good choice

In the meantime, various companies

have already had positive experiences

with the Water Alliance’s matchmaking

intermediation. One of those companies

is Biotrack in Leeuwarden. “We joined

a Water Alliance mission to Canada

in 2013”, says CEO Gerard Schouten.

“We were also present for an incoming

mission from Canada. Good contacts

developed from both those occasions,

and they have now led to the first

concrete projects”, Schouten says.

Canada is one of the countries where

the Water Alliance has established

“THE CANADIANS CAN LEARN FROM US DUTCH HOW TO GET RAW MATERIALS TO THE MARKET”

intensive contacts through the years.

That is a smart move, according to Henk

ten Wolde, former trade commissioner

of the Netherlands Trade Office of the

Dutch Consulate in Alberta. “Canada

is more than 240 times the size of the

Netherlands, and it has a lot of raw

materials. Canadians are experts in the

extraction of these raw materials, but they

can learn from us Dutch how to get them

to the market and also how they can add

value to their raw materials. Moreover,

Canada has a stable economy. During

the economic recession these past years,

Canada has often been referred to as

a model for other countries to follow

to counter the economic downturn.

Because of its large oil industry, the

Province of Alberta plays a prominent

role in the economic growth of Canada

as a whole. In Alberta, the government

wants to invest in a variety of sectors. That

makes it attractive for Dutch companies,

for example, in water technology, to seek

opportunities to spread their wings to

Canada.”

Gerard Schouten, Biotrack

18 |

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to matchmaking

Publicity

BlueLeg Monitor is another company

that is highly appreciative of the

Water Alliance’s communication and

promotional punch. This firm, based

in Sneek, won the first Water Alliance

Innovation Stimulation Award (WIS)

in 2014. The award was presented at

WaterLink, the ‘meet and greet’ event

organized by the Water Alliance for

the past several years at the WTC Expo

Hall in Leeuwarden. “Because of all the

publicity surrounding the WIS award,

the media approached us for interviews

Hans Wouters, BlueLeg Monitor

“I NO LONGER HAVE TO EXPLAIN

WHO WE ARE”

and we were asked to participate in

workshops and conferences related

to water quality”, says Hans Wouters,

a partner in this innovative company

from the ‘Waterpoort’ City, referring to

the city’s most distinctive monument:

a guard tower built as part of a water

gate in the centre of town. “Now if I get

in touch with a water quality manager, I

no longer have to explain who we are.”

The prize included, among other things,

free participation at one of a selection

of international trade shows. The choice

was ultimately made for the Singapore

International Water Week. Hans Wouters:

“We’re a small business, so we would

never have gone there without the

prize. A few weeks earlier we were at

the German IFAT trade show in Munich,

with Water Alliance, and spoke with a

delegation from PUB, a water company

from Singapore, again with Water

Alliance providing the introductions. PUB

is very interested in our technology.”

| 19

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to matchmaking

Biotrack and BlueLeg Monitor are

examples of companies from the north

of the Netherlands, who profit from the

activities of the Water Alliance. Important,

for after all, job creation is a major

motivation for the funding of the Alliance.

However, the strategy chosen for doing

this is one of looking beyond borders,

as we learn from Director Molenkamp.

“By looking for market opportunities

and collaborative partnerships without

placing limits on yourself, you hear

more, you see more, you achieve more”,

according to the director.

Sustainability

That attitude has led companies outside

the Northern Netherlands to become

affiliated with the Alliance too. “We joined

the Water Alliance because Europe’s

water technology hub is found in the

Northern Netherlands”, explains Mark

Boeren on why his company Pathema -

located in Goirle in the southern Dutch

region of Brabant - decided to become

a member of the network organization

based in the Frisian capital. Together

with his father Paul Boeren, he runs

this innovative company engaged in

engineering sustainable water treatment

technology and product development.

“With these products, you are assured

of sustainable investments, because

they work without chemicals and save

on energy and water.” Sustainability is

very important to him. “I come from an

entrepreneurial family that placed very

high value on free thinking and seizing

opportunities. Passion for our products

and opportunities for a more sustainable

society are my reasons as a businessman

to keep on pursuing progress and get

our technology into the market. We want

to help reduce water scarcity in harmony

with the environment and with a financial

return.” With IVG-C CoolWater, Pathema

was the big winner of the 2014 Process

Innovation Award (an initiative of the

Machevo & Bulk Association, which is the

Dutch process industry trade association,

ed.). Pathema took home both the

professional award and the public award.

Mark Boeren is pleased with the support

and guidance provided by the Water

Alliance, not only in the Netherlands, but

also internationally. “We’ve taken some

big steps with the Water Alliance’s help”,

he says. “For example, we were a runner-

up for the 2014 Water Alliance Innovation

Stimulation award. That brought us a lot

of publicity. “We’ve been able to leverage

that attention, along with the sparring and

stimulation we enjoy within the Water

Alliance, into national and especially

international growth! We now supply to

all of Europe, the United States, Canada,

and part of Asia.”

20 | Mark Boeren, Pathema

| 21

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to matchmaking

22 |

New business

The Water Alliance is also involved in

cross-sector events that bring different

disciplines in contact with each other.

“The biggest payoff of those cross-

sector events is that you start to see

things differently”, says Hilde Prummel,

Director of Water Lab Noord (WLN) in

Glimmen. In cooperation with WLN,

the Sensors4Water conference was

organized in Assen in 2013. The initial

reason for organizing the conference

was to wrap up the Sensors and Water

(SAWA) project, in which a variety of

sensors were developed for the online

monitoring of water quality in drinking

water production. Numerous parties

collaborated in the project, such as

sensor developers, end-users and

knowledge institutes.

In addition to showcasing global

developments in the fields of

sensor technology and water quality

management, the main outcomes

of SAWA were presented during

the conference. Prummel: “The

development of sensor technology

for water quality management brings

two worlds together: sensors and

water quality. If your goal is to produce

successful developments, then you

have to understand each other, speak

each other’s language. That ‘getting to

know’ and understand each other is

only possible by spending a lot of time

talking and teaming up in development.”

The cross-sector event generated

some valuable connections, Prummel

continues. “An example is that we as WLN

now take part in the European Action

Group on Water Quality Monitoring. That

positions us close to European initiatives

on the interface of water technology and

sensor technology. One of the contacts

we made at the SAWA conference

was with a Spanish party that acts as

coordinator of the Action Group. We

also know that the participating sensor

suppliers were able to generate new

business thanks to SAWA.”

Water and dairy

Another example of a cross-sector

meeting is the Water and Dairy Day

organized by the Water Alliance

in October 2014: ‘Where Milk and

Water Meet, Innovation Is Born!’ This

is a highly topical theme, because the

Dutch dairy chain, with its more than

18,000 dairy farmers, is facing a major

challenge: working towards sustainable

development while, at the same time,

strengthening and expanding its position

in a globalizing world. To address that

challenge, collaboration will be essential,

and it will have to involve all the players

in the milk and dairy chain. That is why

the Dairy Campus was created. The

campus, located in Leeuwarden on the

former site of the Nij Bosma Zathe dairy

experimental farm, is an initiative of

Wageningen UR Livestock Research, the

Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied

Sciences, the Province of Friesland and

the Municipality of Leeuwarden. Kees

de Koning is manager of the Dairy

Campus. Looking back on the Water and

Dairy Day, he observes, “Cross-overs

between sectors are always interesting,

if for no other reason than to look in

someone else’s kitchen. It often turns

out that we have more in common

than we realized. Techniques in one

sector can sometimes, with relatively

minor adaptations, be made suitable

for another industry or application. The

world of dairy and the world of water are

both part of a global network, and water

is in many ways essential for producing

dairy. Collaboration between these two

worlds in Leeuwarden is only natural,

I would say, especially since we and

the WaterCampus are both based in

Leeuwarden.”

Future

Links between dairy farming and water

technology have already developed as

a result of the Water and Dairy Day, De

Koning indicates. “After the meeting in

late October there were various talks with

parties from the water world who were

interested in taking a closer look at the

world of dairy and vice versa. Those talks

planted the seed for several ideas. Soon it

should become clear which will take root

and be developed into definite plans. I

am optimistic.”

In any case, the Dairy Campus is on its

way to becoming the leading national

and international centre for research,

innovation, education and training in

the field of dairy farming. Students and

FROM MATCH-SEEKING to matchmaking

| 23

Kees de Koning

“HAVING THE WATERCAMPUS AND THE DAIRY CAMPUS LOCATED SO CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER IS A MAJOR ADVANTAGE”

professionals can go there for education,

work experience and graduate

programmes. Researchers have the

opportunity to do studies there. And the

commercial sector is stimulated to carry

out innovative projects there. Kees de

Koning: “Together we have to ensure

that sufficient, healthy and safe milk is

produced, today and in the future, with

respect for people, animals and the

environment. Water technology could be

extremely important in achieving this. So

having the WaterCampus and the Dairy

Campus located physically so close to

one another is a major advantage.”

Back to the international playing field. To

make good matches between demand

and supply on the global map, Water

Alliance has developed its so-called

‘WaterSquare’. These are closed sessions

that combine technology and know-how

in relation to a specific case. Recently

(in April 2015) that even resulted in a

concrete business opportunity in Akron,

Ohio (USA). The article on page 42 takes

a closer look at that.

24 |

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

FROM IDEA TO BUSINESS

As noted, the WaterCampus is a large

complex in Leeuwarden. Here, but

also at multiple other locations in the

Netherlands, people are hard at work

turning ideas into viable businesses. The

WaterCampus consists of a collection

of buildings, all entirely surrounded

by greenery and built on the banks of

a tenacious little city river called the

Potmarge. The north bank of that river is

where the WaterCampus expansion

was recently completed.

Completion in 2015 of the sleek new headquarters for Wetsus (the European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology) marked a major milestone in the growth of the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden. The campus offers, in addition to the much acclaimed new building, the Johannes de Doper Science Centre - occupied by, among others, the Water Alliance, the Centre of Expertise Water Technology (CEW) and numerous private companies. The campus is also where, together with the Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, the Water Application Center (WAC) can be found. Who inhabits this remarkable complex? What are they working on? And what creative spirits produced this extraordinary new building? A brief journalistic tour.

A remarkable piece of architecture by

GEAR, a cooperative of four architectural

firms from Friesland: TWA Architecten,

AchterboschZantman Architecten,

Borren Staalenhoef Architecten and

Jelle de Jong Architecten. GEAR (Frisian

for ‘together’) positions itself as an ‘idea

factory’ working on regional issues

in the fields of regional planning, urban

design and architecture. “Leeuwarden’s

ambition is to become the European

Capital of Water Technology”, says

Bart Zantmann of the

cooperative.

| 25

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

“The request was to design an eco-icon:

a building that visualizes and promotes

water technology. At the same time, we

felt the building had to be appropriate

for the location on the banks of the

Potmarge with its reed beds, willows and

elderly fruit trees. The meandering green

zone is of immense value in this densely

built city. Not only is it a place to get

away from the bustle, it’s also a cultural-

historical monument.” The two seemingly

conflicting objectives were united,

according to fellow architect Doeke

van Wieren, in a building that refers to

both the nature of the location and the

building’s use, users and sustainability.

“It is evident in the different waves in the

façade, in the meandering water with

reed beds in the landscaping plan, and

in the fluid shapes of the

atrium, as well

as the many details in the interior. The

building’s shape makes it stand out, while

its colour and ambience blend it into its

surroundings.”

The design produced by the Frisian

architects has since received widespread

recognition and applause. Much praised,

for example, have been the distinctive

waves that give the building its sense

of liquidity, making it a recognizable

landmark for the WaterCampus.

Inside the building, laboratories and

office spaces have been created. An

atrium, which brings light and air into

the building’s heart, forms the central

gathering point: a three-dimensional

intersection of sight lines, bridges and

meeting areas. Renewable materials

were used; the building is flexible and

deconstructable. For the energy system

the choice was made to connect with the

Wetterskip biogas network for heating.

Warmth is thus generated in a sustainable

way and connected to local facilities. It

also creates the option of connecting

to sustainable heating technologies

that may become available in the future

without any great loss of investment.

A hybrid cooling system provides

air conditioning. As much cooling as

possible is provided by vaporization of

water (so-called adiabatic cooling, ed.).

Only in cases of extremely high outside

temperatures is it necessary to switch

over to conventional systems. The accent

on sustainability earned the building a

BREEAM-NL Excellent Design Certificate

in late 2014.

26 |

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

“WITH THE WATERCAMPUS

EXPANSION NOW COMPLETE, WE’RE EVEN

BETTER POSITIONED”

| 27

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

Growth aspirations

Wetsus is the main occupant of the new

building, which also houses other water-

oriented technology companies and

organizations. One of these is the Aqua

Nirvana Foundation (ANF), an investment

company from Norway. ANF invests in

sustainable water technologies. Things

have moved fast for Wetsus, proving that

Business Director Johannes Boonstra

was right twelve years ago. Back then,

in Wetsus’ early days, an interview in

Kijk op het Noorden magazine quoted

Boonstra as saying, “The Friesland

branch may seem illogical to some, but

it’s actually a matter of course. The water

treatment sector has traditionally been

concentrated in Friesland, as most of the

companies in the industry are located

here, relatively speaking.”

Since that interview, Wetsus has grown

to become the European Centre of

Excellence for Sustainable Water

Technology. The organization brings

together some hundred international

businesses and almost twenty

universities, for the purpose of innovation

in water treatment. “Wetsus has spawned

several companies in the intervening

years. It has become the largest university

institution in Friesland, and Leeuwarden

has become the Capital of Water

Technology,” says Boonstra. With the

WaterCampus expansion now complete,

we’re even better positioned to achieve

our growth objectives.”

Knowledge development and experience

The Centre of Expertise Water Technology (CEW) is also closely tied to the

WaterCampus. “The WaterCampus is the hub of water technology in the Netherlands”,

says CEW Director Gerard Adema. “Here, an environment is being created where

researchers, entrepreneurs and the business sector can find one another, but also where

students can share their talents, knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and experience.”

The Netherlands has twenty Centres of Expertise associated with universities of applied

sciences (as well as various Centres for Innovative Workmanship - or CIV’s - associated

with schools for vocational education). All of the Centres of Expertise are public-private

partnerships seeking to plug into regional knowledge infrastructures by focusing on a

strongly represented Top Sector. One of those Top Sectors is water. “There is a learning

curve in knowledge exchange, but the rewards make it well worth the effort. With CEW

and the assistance of our well-educated students, companies can conduct applied

research easily and efficiently. That can often considerably speed up a market launch”,

Adema says. Many companies and organizations have found their way to CEW in the

past years. Adema names a few examples, “Feycon, Magneto Special Anodes, Wetterskip

Fryslân and, quite recently, the British company HAPSS Ltd. They have partnered with

us to support their product and market development. HAPSS commissioned us to do

research on a US-patented technology for thermal disinfection. That is happening at the

demo site at the Antonius Hospital in Sneek.”

“Knowledge development and experience are desperately needed”, Adema

emphasizes. “The world needs water technology solutions. There are still people in the

world with no access to sufficient and clean drinking water. A bright future lies ahead for

our students, because the world needs water and water experts.”

Johannes Boonstra, Wetsus Gerard Adema, CEW

28 |

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

| 29

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

MBO-HBO-WO

While CEW targets the applied science

level (‘HBO’ schooling in the Dutch

educational system), another resident

of the WaterCampus, the Centre for

Innovative Workmanship (CIV), focuses

on the vocational track (called ‘MBO’

schooling in the Netherlands). That

means the WaterCampus offers a

complete range of water-related studies,

from the vocational level, up through the

applied sciences to the university level.

CIV is a partnership between Friesland

College and Nordwin College. “Getting

recognized as a CIV by the ministry is no

simple task”, says director Peet Ferwerda.

“We are the only one in the Netherlands

in the field of water technology and

water management. This industry is

growing rapidly and has an increasing

need for well-trained and innovative-

minded personnel. We can provide that.”

CIV’s focus is on water industry jobs for

vocational graduates. These are jobs in

water supply companies, government

water management agencies and

laboratories, but also upstream in sectors

like manufacturing and installations,

and downstream, for example, in the

food sector and horticulture. “It’s about

training technicians, analysts, laboratory

specialists, managers, operators

and service workers in technology,

including process technology, as well

as in laboratory techniques and water

management and supply”, says Ferwerda.

The goal is qualitative improvements in

both full-time and part-time education,

to adequately tailor training to the

latest technological and technical

develovpments. A community of

knowledge and practice is also being

set up, with the objective of forming a

national knowledge and experience

network for vocational trainers and

businesses in the water industry. At the

same time, it will serve as an incubator

for new training programmes and new

educational resources. For instance,

minors in water technology could be

developed for vocational students in

other fields of technology and ‘green’

studies.”

Spider in the web

A good physical location like the

WaterCampus is important when turning

knowledge into business, according to

Hein Molenkamp, Managing Director

of the Water Alliance, which itself is a

collaboration between government,

knowledge institutions and businesses.

“The WaterCampus forms the physical

core, in which numerous research,

education and business facilities are

housed. But as a network organization

and as the connecting thread we

go even further: together with other

parties on the WaterCampus, we help

companies take the step from a good

idea to a marketable product or service.

Matchmaking is one of the ways we do

that: organizing gatherings (for example,

at the WaterCampus), participating in

international trade shows and supporting

marketing, PR and lobbying activities.”

Molenkamp knows what he’s talking

about. He was involved in commercial

activities at Paques, a biological

wastewater and gas treatment company

in Balk, for many years before he became

Managing Director of the Water Alliance.

“As the spider in the international water

web, we want to help water technology

companies launch their innovations and

ideas into the market through mediation,

promotion and lobbying. It’s all about

getting the ball rolling.”

After a brief pause, he continues,

“Around 780 million people worldwide

have no access to safe drinking water.

Every year, 3 million young children die

from diseases caused by poor access

to water, sanitary facilities and hygiene.

That can be changed. Fortunately,

the water technology industry is

growing worldwide. Companies at

the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden are

researching solutions for drinking water

production and wastewater purification.

That is not only good for human welfare;

it presents economic opportunities too.

Hein Molenkamp, Water Alliance

“IT’S ALL ABOUT GETTING THE BALL ROLLING”

30 |

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

“NO

INVESTMENT

IS NECESSARY;

YOU CAN

GET TO WORK

ALMOST

IMMEDIATELY”Bob van Bijnen, WAC

| 31

Water Application Centre

Before we can get to those economic

opportunities, ideas and innovations

have to go through a process (see also

the ‘Water Technology Innovation Chain’

illustration elsewhere in this WaterProof,

ed.). Large-scale research and testing is

part of that process. It can be done at the

Water Application Centre (WAC), which

is also located at the WaterCampus,

explains WAC’s Director Bob van Bijnen.

WAC offers no less than 1,200 square

metres of fully equipped laboratories.

Companies - large and small - can have

all kinds of research carried out here.

In addition to the excellent physical

infrastructure, WAC provides technical

support in construction and maintenance

of test setups, analysis support,

procurement, security, and other services.

“A major advantage of WAC is that

companies, organizations and institutions

without their own facilities can come

here to conduct large-scale research”,

according to Van Bijnen. “No investment

is necessary; you can get to work almost

immediately. That can be immensely

helpful for businesses, especially SMEs,

starting them off more quickly on the path

to market introduction of new products or

applications.”

Clean drinking water

Bucon Industries is another company

that has settled in Leeuwarden. Since its

founding in 2001, the company (originally

located in Rijswijk, the Netherlands) has

made a name for itself with a number

of international innovations in water

supply, wastewater treatment and

water storage. From its Leeuwarden

offices, Bucon hopes to achieve further

growth, increasing both turnover and

employment via its operating company

Dutch Water Partners (DWP). This involves

mostly activities associated with water

supply systems. “This region has a high

added value for us”, says Director Peter

Bulsing. “Here you are working in the

water technology capital.” That last

sentiment is one that Tobias Strating fully

shares. During his environmental science

studies at Van Hall Larenstein (located at

the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden), he

discovered the sustainable possibilities

of 3D printing, in combination with, for

example, clay. That led to the founding of

his own company. He now runs the one-

man business SymbioShape (offering

sustainable 3D printing for consumers,

businesses, and education) from the

WaterCampus.

“Everyone has a right to clean drinking

water”, he says. “The reality, however, is

that there are still people who do not

have access to this basic service. For

all those people who, out of necessity,

have to make do with contaminated

water, I wondered: as an environmental

scientist, how can I contribute to reduce

the water problem? My own thinking

and brainstorming with my water

technology professor Leo Groendijk (also

chairperson of the ‘Water for Everyone’,

ed.) resulted in the ceramic water filter

project. Pathogens in water are removed

using a ceramic filter. And you know

what’s funny? It’s a centuries old method.

The Ancient Egyptians used it.”

Entrepreneurship

In addition to research, marketing and

education, entrepreneurship is part of

the WaterCampus’ DNA. One of the

companies housed at the campus is

Berghof Membrane Technology. The

head office of this business unit of the

German Berghof Group has been

located in Leeuwarden for the past

several years. Managing Director Erik

Wildeboer describes the WaterCampus

as an inspiring base of operations.

“You’ve got everything here”, he says.

“From research to support in getting

water technology products to the market.

That makes it logical for us to be here.”

His company has grown considerably in

recent years - growth which he attributes

not only to the combination of German

reliability and Dutch creativity, but also

to collaboration with other companies in

the Berghof Group and the cooperative

environment of the WaterCampus.

“Working together, we can offer a

complete package, and innovative

ideas are taken up and developed

faster. Cooperating with others on the

WaterCampus also helps you get ahead.”

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

“NO

INVESTMENT

IS NECESSARY;

YOU CAN

GET TO WORK

ALMOST

IMMEDIATELY”

“IT MAKES IT LOGICAL FOR US TO BE HERE”

Erik Wildeboer, Berghof MT

Joost Edens, DMT

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

32 |

State of the art

DMT Environmental Technology,

from Joure, opened an office at the

WaterCampus in late October 2014.

The expansion was necessary to keep

pace with the significant international

growth experienced by this Frisian

company over the past few years. Growth

has brought increased demand and

new opportunities. “Our work in water

and biogas purification contributes to

a green and prosperous future”, says

Joost Edens, Water Division Manager

at DMT Environmental Technology.

“These are strongly developing,

international markets. So it was a logical

step for us to open a second office

at the WaterCampus, since here we

have better access to a wider network,

state-of-the-art research facilities and

business development support such as

that provided, for example, by the Water

Alliance.”

Growth

Capilix and Red Stack are two companies

that started out at the WaterCampus, laid

the foundation for their success there,

and have since taken flight as a result

of their growth. Capilix developed a

technology for rapidly testing water for

the presence of ten substances. This is

crucial information, for example, for the

paper industry, wastewater treatment,

greenhouse cultivation and the biogas

industry, which can use such input to

improve their yields. The Investment and

Development Agency for the Northern

Netherlands (NOM) supported Capilix

from the start in 2008 until 2012, when

NOM’s stake in Capilix was purchased by

the internationally operating Metrohm

Group. Red Stack has also spread its

wings. Wetsus’ first spin-off company

focuses on developing, scaling up and

marketing its Blue Energy technology,

for generating electricity from fresh

“OUR WORK

IN WATER

AND BIOGAS

PURIFICATION

CONTRIBUTES

TO A GREEN

AND

PROSPEROUS

FUTURE”

“THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES WAS LAID OUT AT THE WATERCAMPUS.”

WATERCAMPUS LEEUWARDEN from idea to business

and salt water. A pilot is currently being

conducted on the Afsluitdijk (Closure

Dike), which will continue till 2016 or

possibly 2017.

“It’s primarily about improving

the membranes, reducing costs

and identifying the effects on the

environment”, explains Company Director

Rik Siebers. His company has teamed

up with a pair of investors to take the

required next steps. “The foundation for

what we are now rolling out was laid at

the WaterCampus”, he says. “Investor

interest is confirmation that we are on the

right track.”

| 33

34 |

INFOGRAPHIC The Water Technology Innovation Chain

THE WATER

TECHNOLOGY

INNOVATION

CHAINThe WaterCampus

brings together a

complete chain of

innovation for water

technology, from first

idea, research, specialized

laboratories, various

demo-sites, launching

customers to commercial

international applications

by commercial

companies. Indeed from

knowledge to business.

It is driven by the idea

that technological

development and

innovation is needed to

develop new markets and

create new business

opportunities.

| 35

INFOGRAPHIC The Water Technology Innovation Chain

36 |

WATER ALLIANCE AND AKRON WATER SUPPLY join forces

LEADING DUTCH CONSORTIUM COMBATS ALGAE IN USBlue-green algae found in surface water

is a big problem for governments and

water companies. When this algae dies,

Microcystin is released; for humans this

is a highly toxic substance that can cause

various diseases, including liver cancer.

Knowing that Dutch water technology

companies can offer solutions for these

threats, ‘The US Algal Toxin Conference’

has been organized in Akron, Ohio

from 28 to 30 April by the Akron Global

Water Alliance (Ohio) in collaboration

with Water Alliance (NL). Subsequently

the Water Alliance organized the

‘Water Square’ on May 1st this year in

Akron (USA); a closed meeting, where

technology and knowledge were

brought together to tackle a concrete

problem. The result: the case-owner - the

company Akron Water Supply - wants

the Dutch companies BlueLeg Monitor,

Deltares and Arcadis to start before the

summer to see how monitoring and

combatting toxic algae can be done.

The problem of Blue-green algae existed

long ago, but it is a remarkable event in

the summer of 2014 that the problem

really came onto the agenda of city

governments and water companies.

On August 1, 2014 the American city of

Toledo (Ohio) on the shore of Lake Erie

was affected by extreme algae growth.

The water authorities saw control charts

for the algae spread so alarmingly that

they could do nothing else than directly

advise the population not to use tap

water. For example, a conglomerate

with about 500,000 inhabitants was shut

down for several days and that became

big national news. For the Americans it

was clear from this point onwards: the

problem of Blue-green algae (known

as cyanobacteria) was crying out for a

solution.

Risk

The algae threat is felt everywhere in

the US, but with even greater emphasis

in the states bordering the Great

Lakes, between the US and Canada.

Many of the two hundred visitors to

‘the US Algal Toxin Conference’ also

came from this area. After two days of

intensive knowledge exchange it could

be concluded that there are plenty of

solutions or semi-solutions offered by

the market, but there is no consensus

on one ultimate solution. Much is still

unclear, there is a crying need for more

data, but it is clear that the problem does

not go away by itself. Or, as Mike Baker,

Chief Division of Drinking and Ground

Waters, Ohio Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA), in his presentation at the

conference summarized: “Cyanobacteria

are still in the water of Ohio and they form

an explicit risk.”

Water Square

A risk perhaps but there are also

solutions. Therefore, the Water Alliance

organized, following the convention

in Akron (Ohio), for the first time on

American soil one of its “Water Squares”.

Business Development Manager

Alex Berhitu: “Water Square is an

| 37

WATER ALLIANCE AND AKRON WATER SUPPLY join forces

already proven concept of the Water

Alliance in the Netherlands. Based on

a concrete problem from one or more

parties a select group of scientists

and entrepreneurs are invited who

are expected to help in seeking out a

solution. The parties will exchange, in the

space of several hours, thoughts and try

to forge a cooperation plan.“

The result of the ‘Water Square USA‘ is

that the company Akron Water Supply

wants the Dutch companies BlueLeg

Monitor, Deltares, Arcadis to start before

the summer, to see how monitoring and

combatting toxic algae can be done.

“Toxic algae are a serious threat, even

in the lakes where we draw our water,”

said manager Jeff Bronowski. “We are

really impressed by the knowledge and

the methods offered by the Dutch. We

do a lot of monitoring ourselves, but we

want to see how it could be done better

and more efficiently. We have highly

qualified people within our organisation

and it takes them a lot of time to gather

samples. BlueLeg Monitor’s equipment

for example, would be easier to monitor

and faster, so our people can spend more

time actually analysing data. We want

to look seriously at the methodology of

scientist Hans Matthijs of the University

of Amsterdam in cooperation with

Arcadis who offers to fight algae with low

concentrations of hydrogen peroxide.

Within Arcadis we already have good

contacts. Possibly the Dutch solutions

in combination can help us together to

make progress.”

Threat

Entrepreneur Hans Wouters from

BlueLeg Monitor is pleased with the

recognition, though he realizes that there

is, as yet, no contract signed. “That is not

necessary immediately. All parties sat at

the table were all convinced that you only

come to customized solutions when you

just get started and sweep into action. But

you do not want to make mistakes and

need to take into account their wishes

and possibilities. So we are working in

small steps. “

Also Miguel Dionisio from Deltares

is impressed by the steps that they

have taken during the Water Square.

“Conferences and exhibitions are

very good to meet people and share

knowledge. But here we have zoomed

in on a very specific problem, in this case

the city of Akron and we have gone into

much more depth. We now know pretty

well what we have together. I am very

enthusiastic about this approach. “

It is clear what needs to happen but

precisely on what scale the monitoring

and control of toxic algae in Akron will

be handled exactly is still unknown and

ultimately remains to be answered.

“As the summer approaches and the

threat through the warming of the water

increases, we do want to create some

momentum,” says entrepreneur Wouters.

“The people of Akron have asked us to

put a plan on paper. We’re going to do

that in the coming weeks.”

Water Alliance Managing Director Hein

Molenkamp: “Altogether we can reflect,

like our Dutch partner companies, on

a very successful WaterSquare session

in America. It’s nice to be so busy with

a concrete need and help mediate and

leave them wanting more. “

38 |

WATER ALLIANCE AND AKRON WATER SUPPLY join forces

ALGAEBlue-green algae - also known as

cyanobacteria - now form the largest

problem in the production of safe

drinking water. The underlying cause is

complex. Among other reasons, over-

fertilization of agriculture causes too

much phosphorus and nitrates in the

water. This encourages growth of the

harmful algae. However, recent research

also points towards climate change and

invasive species, which work hand in

hand with algae bloom. Especially the

impact made by heavy rainfall in the

spring and early summer, provides more

nutrients to the lakes by streams and

rivers at a crucial time for algae growth.

Satellite image - courtesy of NASA - shows an

algae bloom on the western side of Lake Erie.

Watch the video-reports on https://www.youtube

com/WaterAllianceNL

| 39

AKRONAkron is located in northern Ohio,

about a hundred kilometres from

Lake Erie. The creation of giants like

Goodyear and Firestone gave the

city the label of ‘Rubber Capital of

the World’. Today, Akron is known

as a city of water technology.

WATER ALLIANCE AND AKRON WATER SUPPLY join forces

In the background from left to right:

Hein Molenkamp, Hans Wouters and Jeff Bronowski

40 |

DEMO SITES a vital part of the innovation ecosystem

DEMO SITES: A VITAL PART OF THE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMFrom Singapore to Israel and the USA, the so-called ‘demo sites’ of the WaterCampus have attracted interest from many parts of the world. That is certainly understandable. Nowhere else in the world is there a comparable group of test facilities for inventions in the field of water technology. Water Alliance helps promote the demo sites. How did the concept come about? And where are the demo sites located? A brief account from some of the people involved.

The demo sites are a vital part of the

innovation ecosystem. If a good idea,

following research and laboratory studies,

can be scaled up, large-scale trials can

take place at a demo site. This last step

enables developers to optimize an

invention for the market.

A demo site is accessible 24 hours a day,

365 days per year. Think of it as a ‘plug

and play’ facility, meaning that the user

does not lose valuable time navigating

different procedures, for example,

applying for environmental permits.

Each location has multiple lots available

for containers, typically housing test

installations.

We go back in time to the year 2008,

when the first demo site opened for

operation. In Wetsalt in Harlingen,

researchers focus on desalination of

seawater. Four more demo sites followed:

the Sentec demo site in Glimmen (sensor

development), Wetterskip Fryslân in

Leeuwarden (wastewater treatment),

Vitens in Noordbergum (drinking water

research) and the Antonius Hospital in

Sneek (hospital wastewater treatment).

Ground-breaking inventions have been

launched from these demo sites over

the years. Examples are sensors for

rapid microbiology measurements, a

membrane cleansing technique using

gas bubbles and sustainable wastewater

treatment systems.

The Water Alliance supports the owners

in promoting their demo site. The

locations, facilities and success stories are

brought into the spotlight in a variety of

ways. For example, via the Water Alliance

website, with articles in WaterProof

magazine and through lectures at

national and international conferences

and trade shows. Furthermore, via the

Water Alliance, researchers can receive

help in finding co-financiers for their tests.

THE DEMO SITES PROVIDE TESTING

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FIELD OF:

• Sustainable desalination of

seawater, groundwater and

wastewater.

• Renewable energy

generation from water.

• Wastewater treatment.

• Post-treatment with sand

filters or algae.

• Extra energy from sludge.

• Purification of drinking water.

• Drinking water innovations.

• Purification technology for waste-

water treatment from hospitals.

• Sensor technology

LOCATIONS

• Wetsalt Harlingen

www.wetsalt.nl

• Fryslân water authority

www.wetterskipfryslan.nl

• Vitens Innovation Centre

www.vitens.nl

• Antonius Hospital Sneek

www.wetsus.nl

• SenTec Glimmen

www.wln.nl

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“LARGE-SCALE TRIALS CAN TAKE

PLACE AT A DEMO SITE”

| 41

DEMO SITES a vital part of the innovation ecosystem

“Worldwide many people would give

their eyeteeth for our demo sites. In

some places they have tried to copy

them. But it’s not that simple. It’s a total

package. The demo sites are a part of

the innovation ecosystem formed by the

WaterCampus. We’ve been working on

this for more than ten years. It takes more

than just one cog to get a wheel turning.

So our lead is secure for the time being.

The demo sites are extremely important

for the marketing of an invention.

Potential customers stop by on a regular

basis to take a look. If they have an

appointment with one

researcher, they

often

“THE MAGNET HAS BEEN ACTIVATED”Alex Berhitu of the Investment and Development Agency for the Northern Netherlands (NOM) is also business development manager for Water Alliance. His job is to further develop the demo sites, alongside the others involved in the sites. Below is his story.

take a walk along the other containers

as well. That is one of the advantages of

concentrating technologies at a single,

central location.

The Water Alliance attracts attention to

the five demo sites. Also, with many other

parties, we think about possible new

locations. A demo site has to satisfy a

number of criteria. Above all, each demo

site has to be commercially viable and

the sites need to be complementary

to one another. Right now

we’re looking at

possibilities for a demo site for the dairy

farming industry.

When I started out with the Water

Alliance in 2009, it was difficult to

get ‘outsiders’ enthusiastic about the

innovation ecosystem, where the demo

sites play a vital role. But if you do things

well, an attracting force just seems to

be generated automatically. Potential

customers and prominent guests now

find their way to the WaterCampus on

their own, and for most, a visit to a demo

site has become a near essential part of

that. The magnet has been activated. The

next step is attracting foreign companies.

Once they have made use of a demo

site, establishing a permanent office in

Friesland is just a small step away. And

that, of course, is very good for

the regional economy.”

DEMO SITES IN WORD AND IMAGE

“Worldwide, many people would give their eyeteeth for our demo sites”

VITENSFocus: Potable water researchEstablished: 2011Location: Noordbergum

“We consider it a noble goal that the Water Alliance is pursuing: marketing

worldwide the water knowledge, innovation and experience available

throughout all of the Netherlands. A unique aspect of this proposition is its

incorporation of the demo sites.”

Erik Driessen Vitens

WETSALTFocus: Desalination of seawaterEstablished: 2008Location: Harlingen

“When a company tells me that research at the demo site has delivered

more in two months than a year of research in the lab, it’s clear to me that the

demo sites fulfil an important role in the innovation chain. Water Alliance

puts a spotlight on these unique demo sites, time after time, both nationally

and abroad, and in doing so, it fulfils an important role in marketing them.”

Heleen Sombekke Wetsus

DEMO SITES a vital part of the innovation ecosystem

42 |

ANTONIUS HOSPITALFocus: Hospital wastewater treatmentEstablished: 2014Location: Sneek

“The municipality of Súdwest Fryslân aims to be the leading testing ground for

water technology. Our demo site is a good example of this. It is a unique testing

location for the treatment of hospital wastewater. There is still a lot of research that

needs to be done. The demo site is very valuable for this. The Water Alliance plays

an important role, as intermediary to the commercial sector, in making the demo

site commercially viable.”

Anne van Scheltinga Municipality of Súdwest Fryslân

WETTERSKIP FRYSLANFocus: Wastewater treatmentEstablished: 2010Location: Leeuwarden

“Wetterskip Fryslân seeks to purify wastewater as environmentally responsibly,

cheaply and sustainably as possible. That is why research and piloting of new

techniques is so important. This can be done quickly and efficiently with a demo site.

Companies, knowledge institutes, water boards and STOWA [the Foundation for

Applied Water Research] can come here to make use of the wastewater treatment

facilities. That enables companies to move more quickly to market introduction and

sales.”

Yede van der Kooij Wetterskip Fryslân

SENTECFocus: Sensor developmentEstablished: 2010Location: Glimmen

“Sentec (the Sensor Test Centre) offers a testing environment for

development and application of sensor technology for purposes of drinking

water production. The demo site was important in the SAWA Sensors and

Water project, which worked to make sensors for measuring water quality

market-ready in just a very short period of time. The demo site is just as

secure as the lab. But the research done there still takes place under real

field conditions. The Water Alliance is the main driving force behind the

demo sites. The Water Alliance also plays an important role in knowledge

dissemination, for example, as co-organizer of international conferences.”

Peter van der Maas WLN

| 43

44 |

FOUR WIS AWARD PARTICIPANTS take the floor

TREASURES, THEN AND NOW“Now, if I get in touch with a water quality manager, I no longer have to explain who we are”, says Hans Wouters, CEO of BlueLeg Monitor, a company from Sneek. A flood of publicity swept in his direction when he won the Water Alliance Innovation Stimulation Award (WIS) in 2014. In the meantime, that has opened doors to international markets. Hydrowashr, the most recent WIS winner, has also already started to feel the PR effects of the award. How are things with the winners now? And what about the companies that have come in a close second these past years? What type of business development ambition do those entrepreneurs represent? A brief tour of four innovative water technology companies.

| 45

FOUR WIS AWARD PARTICIPANTS take the floor

“I AM WORKING TO ACHIEVE

A PERSONAL DREAM”

“PRODUCING CERAMIC MEMBRANES OUT OF METAL”

To meet the brand new winner of

the 2015 WIS Award, we journey to

Leeuwarden, where the young company

Hydrowashr is based. Hydrowashr

developed an appliance for both

cleansing and drying hands after toilet

use, employing an innovative technique

for both. And because it works very

quickly, it is energy and water efficient.

Award committee chairperson Cees

Buisman (scientific director of Wetsus)

praised the appliance’s combination of

functionality with design, even going

so far as to call designer and company

director Jan Melein ‘the Steve Jobs of the

water technology branch’. “The timing

of this award is perfect”, said Tineke

Willems of Hydrowashr, “because we are

now ready to enter into the commercial

market”. In the absence of Melein,

Willems accepted the award on behalf

of the winner, at a ceremony during the

WaterLink symposium in early 2015. “It

is tremendous that with this award we

receive a vote of confidence and a whole

lot of promotional support.”

Later, via videolink, Hydrowashr’s director,

Melein, added, “As an entrepreneur, I am

working to achieve a personal dream.

That dream is that ten years from now we

have a factory where many people work

and where we produce ten thousands of

hydrowashrs each year.”

A born entrepreneur

Where someone wins, there’s also

someone in second place. In 2015

that second place went to a company

called Metalmembranes - also based

in Leeuwarden - co-founded by

businessman Hans-Henk Wolters. Wolters

is by origin a chemical and process

engineer, inventor, innovator, networker

and technician, but actually more than

anything a born entrepreneur. He has

multiple businesses, such as ECM

Technologies (specialized in innovative

solutions for the electrochemical

machining of metal), Sidekick Industries

(specialized in the visualization of

complex processes and techniques

using animations) and Metalmembranes.

“Metalmembranes has developed

a method for producing ceramic

membranes out of metal”, Wolters

explains. “The metal is transformed into a

ceramic material via an electrochemical

process.” The membranes have pores

nanometres in diameter. The thin

membranes, according to Wolters, are

flexible, have high fluxes and are less

quick to foul due to a light electrical

current applied to them.”

Jan Melein, HydrowashR

Hans-Henk Wolters, MetalMembranes

46 |

FOUR WIS AWARD PARTICIPANTS take the floor

“IT’S GOTTEN A LOT EASIER TO MAKE CONTACT WITH OUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS”

Laser gun

It’s an impressive group of companies

that recently took part in the WIS Award,

and they’ve now already received

quite a bit of publicity as a result of that

participation. For the 2014 winner, we

travel to Sneek, where Hans Wouters,

CEO of BlueLeg Monitor gladly looks

back with us at the past year and a half.

“No one knew us two years ago”, says

Wouters. “It’s very difficult to knock

on the doors of water managers with

a new product and they don’t know

you. By taking part in the WIS Award,

we suddenly received a lot of name

recognition, and because of that it’s

gotten a lot easier to make contact with

our potential clients.”

What is the innovation that won BlueLeg

Monitor the WIS Award? It was IQ Water,

an app that lets you test water quality

using your mobile phone. In the wake

of all the publicity, however, BlueLeg

Monitor also succeeded in bringing

the so-called ‘WISP-3’ into the spotlight.

The WISP-3 is a spectrometer which

determines in a very simple way - based

on a water colour analysis - the presence

of algae, including blue-green algae,

the concentration of sediment, the

concentration of dissolved organic matter

and water clarity. The hand-held device

looks like a laser gun and can generate

very large amounts of data in a very short

period of time. The market potential looks

good, not least because BlueLeg Monitor

has been very active in marketing

the invention. For example, company

representatives went to the Singapore

International Water Week in 2014, with

the support of the Water Alliance. At the

event the Singaporean water company

PUB turned out to be interested in the

innovation. “The company produces

drinking water from surface water

and therefore manages a number of

freshwater catchments”, according to

Wouters. So they are very attentive to

the quality of water in the reservoirs. We

met their people before, at the IFAT trade

show in Munich (mentioned elsewhere

in this magazine, ed.). As a result of the

meeting at IFAT we were allowed to

present a workshop and demonstrations

of our WISP-3 in Singapore. Because

people got a chance to work with the

device themselves, our message got

across much better. The demonstration

on the edge of Marina Bay in the heart

of Singapore was especially impressive.

There’s a good chance that contracts will

come out of it.”

Note from the editors: Wouters recently

demonstrated his ‘WISP’ again during a

Water Alliance business development

mission to Akron, Ohio (USA). More about

that trip can be read elsewhere in this

magazine. A video-report can be viewed

on the ‘WaterProof TV’ YouTube channel,

accessible via the website:

www.wateralliance.nl

Demo in SingaporeHans Wouters, BlueLeg Monitor

| 47

FOUR WIS AWARD PARTICIPANTS take the floor

“HIGH VALUE ON FREE THINKING AND SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES”

Sampling

It’s interesting that innovations which in

one way or another allow water quality

to be tested quicker and more easily

tend to do well in the market. Companies

like Capilix and Biotrack – also members

of the Water Alliance – have scored

highly with these types of technologies,

and BlueLeg Monitor and the earlier-

mentioned Metalmembranes are

involved in these. And new methods are

constantly being invented and tested.

For example, in 2015 the Province of

Friesland awarded BlueLeg Monitor a

subsidy for the ‘EcoWatch’ project. The

Water Alliance acted as intermediary

and provided guidance. The project,

developed in partnership with

WaterInsight BV, the INCAS3 Foundation

and the Noorderzijlvest regional water

board, seeks to develop an innovative

tool for remote, real-time monitoring of

surface water quality. “With EcoWatch,

freshwater supply can be monitored

cost-effectively for the best possible

management of surface water quality”,

says Hans Wouters. “It will give water

managers such as the water boards the

ability to continuously monitor water

quality.”

EcoWatch will be tested in the summer of

2015 at Paterswoldse Lake (more on this

project in the ‘Short News’ section, ed.).

Metalmembranes received a subsidy for

the ‘Better Wetter’ project. Sybrand Metz,

of the Leeuwarden-based company,

explains, “Taking water samples and

then analysing them in the laboratory is

very time consuming. It can be anywhere

from two days to three weeks before

the results become available. With the

use of our membranes, that can all be

done in just a couple of hours.” The

Better Wetter project is also a good

example of the way companies in and

around the WaterCampus collaborate,

because Metalmembranes’ metallic

membranes with a ceramic inner layer

were implemented right from the start

in the ‘Aquascope’ water monitor, which

was produced by Biotrack, another Johannes BoonstraMark Boeren, Pathema

WaterCampus firm. The Aquascope,

furthermore, uses mircochips from

Microdish, which is also based at the

WaterCampus.

Sustainable investments

Back to the WIS. Winning the award

helps, that much is clear. But the

companies themselves are also expected

to take a proactive role when it comes

to conquering new markets. BlueLeg

Monitor is an excellent example in

this respect. Another good example is

the company Pathema. This company

located in Goirle (in the south of the

Netherlands) won second place in the

2014 WIS with its IVG-C CoolWater

technology, offering a complete solution

for managing cooling water without

the use of any chemicals. “The product

combines all the techniques available

in the water branch for exploiting a

cooling tower or evaporative condenser

without the use of chemicals and with

low water use and reduced power

consumption”, says Pathema Director

Mark Boeren. When asked where he

sees the greatest opportunities and

potentials for Pathema, he replies, “We

want to service our industrial target group

with a hybrid model. The intention is to

sell and rent industrial water treatment

technology and provide implementation

that is completely care-free for the

client. That way, industrial cooling and

process water can be used without the

addition of chemicals, thus saving both

water and energy. These products offer

sustainable investments for our clients.”

And his biggest drive? “I come from an

entrepreneurial family that placed very

high value on free thinking and seizing

opportunities. Passion for our products

and opportunities for a more sustainable

society are my reasons as a businessman

to keep on pursuing progress and get

our technology into the market. We want

to help reduce water scarcity in harmony

with the environment and with a financial

return.”

48

| 49

FIVE YEARS OF WATER ALLIANCE. FIVE YEARS OF INSPIRATION. FIVE YEARS OF DEVOTION, MEETINGS, COOPERATION, INNOVATION AND BOOKING RESULTS. WATER ALLIANCE WISHES TO THANK ALL HER PARTNERS FOR THEIR TRUST.

MEMBERS of the Water Alliance

50 |

Bentenwater solutions

BWAWater Purifications

COSMONiO

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY

Fleet CleanerFleet CleanerHull Cleaning and Inspection Equipment

MEMBERS of the Water Alliance

| 51

ISS Tanks B.V.De Giek 31 9206 AS The Netherlands

T + 31 (0) 512 582058 F +31 (0) 512 518933 Mail: info@isstanks.nlInternet: www.isstanks.nl

Specialists in UV-Disinfection

UVIDIS

The Northern Netherlands Provinces (SNN):

Investing in your future.

Water Alliance is co-financed by the European

Fund for Regional Development and The

Ministry of Economic Affairs, Peaks in the Delta.

Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland

Hier wordt geïnvesteerd in uw toekomst.

Water Alliance wordt medegefinancierd

door het Europees fonds voor regionale

ontwikkeling en door het ministerie van EZ,

Pieken in de Delta.

WATER ALLIANCE

Agora 4

8934 CJ Leeuwarden

The Netherlands

E-mail: info@wateralliance.nl

Tel. +31 58 284 90 44

www.wateralliance.nl