Smart water innovations: TKI Matchmaking event brings stakeholders together

The meeting was opened and chaired by Arjan Braamskamp from the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP). He emphasised that the TKI programme plays a crucial role in connecting stakeholders, stimulating innovation, and accelerating knowledge exchange.

Next, Petra Wicherink (PhotonicsNL) and Ivana Sersic Vollenbroek (Brabantse Ontwikkeling Maatschappij (BOM)) introduced the audience to the world of photonics. They explained what photonics is, how light-based technologies can be used to make highly precise measurements, and why this technology is becoming increasingly important in the water sector. Petra Wicherink noted that “Photonics is playing an ever more significant role in the water industry, offering fast, accurate, and non-destructive methods for monitoring, detection, and quality control.”

After that, André Mepschen (Water Alliance) and Bert Offereins (WSP) outlined the concrete challenges facing water companies and industry, such as climate change, stricter regulations, and mounting pressure on water quality and discharge standards. Bert Offereins commented that “We only realise the value of water when it is no longer available.”

Ruixuan Qi and Dhyana C. Bharathan (Wetsus) presented ongoing research on applying photonics to concrete water innovations. They demonstrated that research is increasingly shifting towards integrated and scalable solutions.

Joep van den Broeke (KWR Water Research Institute) presented the sensing roadmap for water quality management, a framework for developing better and scalable water quality monitoring. He highlighted the most promising technologies and how data can support targeted interventions, reliable decision-making, and collaboration across the sector. He explained that “With this roadmap, we aim to pinpoint where the bottlenecks are.” 

In-depth discussion and concrete directions

In the afternoon, the participants continued discussions in small groups at three table sessions, each addressing a key theme within the innovation chain.

At the ‘Real-Time Water Quality Measurement’ table facilitated by Bert Offereins, the growing demand for real-time water quality data was discussed. At the same time, it became clear that affordability, reliability, and scalability remain major challenges. Participants emphasised the need for joint development and a standardised base architecture to accelerate implementation.

The ‘From Lab to Practice’ table facilitated by Kees Roest (KWR Water Research Institute), explored the translation of research results into practical application. Successful implementation depends not only on technological quality but also on governance, financing, market knowledge, and standardisation. Kees noted that “When end users with challenges, technology and service providers with solutions, and knowledge institutions work together and are supported by funding, we can make real progress towards applying all these promising technologies.”

Facilitated by Joep Appels (Microlan), the ‘Smart Combinations: Data, Sensors, and Control’ table looked at linking sensors to data streams, smart analytics, and process automation. Joep Appels explained that “We want to use sensors to establish a sustainable and efficient way of generating data.”

Samira Ehsani (Versa Solution), a participant, commented that "It was inspiring to see so many smart, open-minded professionals from water companies, industry, research, and technology come together at the TKI Matchmaking Event. The combination of water quality, photonics, and data/AI clearly shows that the sector is becoming increasingly data-driven and is putting sensor data to practical use. It is fantastic to see how concrete thinking on connecting sensors, photonics, and analytics is turning into solutions that actually work in practice."

Podcast recordings

Throughout the day, De Radiofabriek recorded several interviews and discussions with various experts for a new podcast series by New Business Radio. In the podcast, listeners can hear how water technology, data, and photonics jointly support better, faster, and smarter water management, and experts explain why these innovations are crucial for sustainability, water quality, and future water availability. Keep an eye on our website for more information.

Reflections and looking ahead

Finally, Petra Wicherink reflected on the day’s value. "The interaction was fantastic – the feedback, all the conversations, all the input. It was impressive, but also surprising, as you never know what will emerge from a day like this. Photonics technology already exists, but there is still much to gain. It doesn’t happen automatically. How do you actually implement it? I don’t think we fully solved that today, but we did take an important step towards meaningful applications of photonics."

It was a day where technology and practice came together, laying the foundation for new collaborations, demonstrations, pilots, and innovation projects in the years ahead.

The event was organised by BOM, KWR Water Research Institute, Netherlands Water Partnership, PhotonicsNL, TKI Water Technology, Water Alliance, and Wetsus, and was part of the TKI Water Technology programme.