A Dutch innovative wave hits IFAT Munich
With 300,000 square metres of space, IFAT Munich 2024 was the largest IFAT ever. Dutch water expertise was represented at the exhibition area in a Netherlands Pavilion that hosted 23 organisations. For a week, an orange wave of innovation and state-of-the-art technologies made a splash at the world's leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management.
Sparking partnerships across continents
IFAT Munich took place from 13 to 17 May, only two weeks after the first IFAT Brasil had ended. The fact that these two events were held so close together in time brought Dutch exhibitors in Munich great opportunities to continue the business discussions that had started thousands of kilometres away. Ewout Riteco, CEO and owner of SOLiSENZ, for instance, recalls how a more concrete business collaboration emerged and was even signed in agreement during the first day at IFAT Munich. “Our presence at the Netherlands Pavilion has been a very positive experience. I had not imagined that it would have helped me reconnect with the Brazilian people that I met at IFAT Brasil, but it did! There were some people in Munich that came to the booth especially to see me again and to continue the discussion that we started in Brazil. It was really nice!”
Amongst the Pavilion’s many visitors interested in Dutch water expertise was an Omani delegation from Nama Water Services that attended IFAT Munich, days after the Oman Sustainability Week where NWP had also hosted a country pavilion filled with Dutch organisations from the water and renewable energy sectors.
Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) also made time to engage with Dutch exhibitors and scout around for innovative solutions at the Pavilion. Bryan Stubbs, CWA President and Executive Director, and Ebie Holst, Director of Clusters and Innovation, gave a presentation about doing business in the USA and showed their interest in fostering international partnerships to accelerate innovation in freshwater management.
Strengthening existing ties
The Netherlands Pavilion is not only the perfect setting to create new business contacts, but also to strengthen connections among exhibitors and bring them closer together. For a week, the Dutch delegation at the Pavilion had plenty of opportunities to exchange information about their technologies, discuss potential collaborations and forge business relationships.
The most tangible example of a unified Dutch water sector could be seen at the Pavilion during a network reception sponsored by the Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Munich and Aquatech Amsterdam. The Consul General, Annelies Faros, and the Deputy Consul-General and Head of the Economic Department, Linda Mieden, attended the reception and met with some of the exhibitors. In addition, NX Filtration, a member of NWP, and its founder Erik Roesink, delighted the audience with their NX Thames beer – a beer brewed with water from the River Thames treated with their hollow fibre nanofiltration technology.
The Pavilion was also the setting of a special reunion for NWP member Royal HaskoningDHV that grabbed the opportunity to gather its Nereda partners from around the world.
Voicing the latest business achievements
IFAT Munich gets a lot of attention from the international water sector and Dutch organisations know this. Hence, it is not surprising that many Dutch companies launch their latest products and announce recent milestones at the event. This was the case for Nijhuis Saur Industries, a member of NWP, that presented its decentralised Grey Water Treatment 2.0 solution at IFAT. This is a circular water management innovation that turns wastewater into water suitable for re-use as toilet flushing water and irrigation. NWP’s Mirjam van Buchem was the master of ceremonies at the launch and had the honour of unveiling the new water treatment unit.
NX Filtration also used IFAT as a podium to announce that it will supply its hollow fibre nanofiltration membrane modules to an indirect potable water reuse system in Mexico, which is NX Filtration’s largest project to date. This water reuse concept is an important step in addressing water scarcity issues in the region. The project is expected to be commissioned before the end of 2024 and will be executed in two phases, each of which will have a capacity of 17 million litres per day.
NWP and IFAT
For years, NWP has assiduously managed the Netherlands Pavilion at IFAT, ensuring that exhibitors have clear opportunities to showcase their products and services, and extend their business contacts. Hosting the Netherlands Pavilion gives NWP a privileged role in serving the Dutch water sector and supporting its members’ international goals.
This year, NWP leaves IFAT excited about the positive feedback it received from the exhibitors and thrilled that, after visiting the Pavilion, Global Expo Stand has decided to join the NWP membership network.
At NWP, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Dutch water sector and IFAT on a water driven future. The next IFAT Munich will be held from 4 to 8 May 2026. Organisations interested in exhibiting their water-related solutions at the Netherlands Pavilion at this event can contact the NWP events team at events@nwp.nl.
