Partnership with the Water Alliance Association

DUBAI, UAE – October 12th, 2021 – VERTECO, the world leader in water conservation and smart washroom technologies, has become an official sponsor of the RENEW Our World, Student Water Innovation Challenge.

Founded by the Water Alliance Association, the cutting-edge school competition is   designed to motivate the UAE’s next generation of leaders and decision makers. Tasking students from across the country to come up with creative and sustainable solutions for tackling today’s water issues, including water conservation, community welfare and water quality, it aims to bring the complications surrounding water conservation to the forefront.

The inaugural hosting of the challenge in 2021 received 135 entries from 18 different schools across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, including numerous progressive, well-considered and original ideas for possible ways that we can treat, access and distribute water.

The project perfectly matches VERTECO’s aims of promoting responsible behaviours and lowering the UAE’s collective water footprint. VERTECO has been working to promote better water conservation and management in the Middle East since it launched its regional office in Dubai in 2010, and the RENEW Our World challenge will help them in their mission to instill a more sustainable mindset in businesses and individuals across the country.

The team from the innovative global business will be heavily involved through every stage of the competition. They will host workshops covering subjects as varied as water scarcity, water access and treatment, innovation and public speaking, mentor the students as they develop their ideas and also have a place on the official judging panel. 

Entries for the 2022 edition open on November 14th 2021 with the final awards ceremony planned around World Water Day in March 2022 at the USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.  Here, the overall winner for each of the age categories will receive a cash prize to invest in a sustainable water solution in their school or for a water project supporting a community in need. The winner of the secondary student category will represent the UAE at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize international competition taking place in August 2022 in Stockholm. Water Alliance has been nominated by the Stockholm International Water Institute as the 40th National Country Organizer Partner in this prestigious student innovation prize, introducing the participation of the Gulf Region to this global water event.

David King, Managing Director of VERTECO for the MENA Region commented, “We are absolutely thrilled to support this fantastic project from the Water Alliance Association. It’s so vital that the next generation understand the issues surrounding water conservation, both locally and internationally, and it’s through their creative ideas and passionate enthusiasm that we will create a better and more sustainable future.

“Over the last few years, VERTECO has already seen the UAE take great steps towards improving its sustainable practices and it’s wonderful to live in a country that cares so deeply about protecting the environment.  Our smart washroom technologies, water management and water saving solutions are now being used by some of the UAE’s biggest businesses and leisure destinations, including VOX Cinemas, Dubai Airports, Mall of the Emirates, Mubadala and at Expo 2020 Dubai. We hope that the RENEW Our World challenge will help spread the importance of water conservation even further and encourage the UAE’s new sustainability-focused attitude to grow and gather even more momentum.”

Meanwhile, Edurne Gil de San Vicente, Program Director of the Water Alliance Association, said, “We are delighted to have VERTECO joining the second edition of the RE-NEW Our World Student Water Innovation Challenge. As one of the key leaders within sustainable water management and given their innovative approach and willingness to utilise new technologies, VERTECO is certainly a fantastic natural fit for enabling and inspiring participants to come up with groundbreaking water solutions. It’s absolutely amazing to be able to work with their international team and we know that all the participating students will learn so much from their mentoring sessions and seminars. We’re very excited to see what we can achieve by working together with VERTECO to nurture the next generation of global citizens valuing water and making meaningful contributions as creative entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists.”