Representatives from more than 100 countries have arrived in Israel to participate in the Watec 2013 Water Technology and Environmental Control Exhibition and Conference in Tel Aviv this week. They will visit dozens of pavilions of Israeli water technology and cleantech companies, which are displaying innovations in desalination, wastewater treatment, round-the-clock control and warning systems, water quality systems, and more.
Water technologies exports totaled $2 billion in 2012, and the Export Institute says that exports rose 170% over six years. Export Institute CEO Ofer Sach forecasts $2.2 billion in water technologies exports this year.
The Export Institute says that Israel has 280 water technologies companies, 150 of which are exporters. The 20 largest companies had $1 billion in exports in 2012.
Sachs estimates the global water market at $700 billion, mostly investment in the construction and upgrading of infrastructures in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. "Israeli companies have not yet tapped the latent business potential in these markets, but the water industry is nonetheless considered one of the future growth engines of Israeli exports," he said.
Among the innovations to be unveiled at Watec is by SmarTap Ltd., which has developed an app to control the water flow and temperature of showers. It also notifies the user about how much water was saved and used during the week. The system can manage water use by multiple users (such as at hotels, sports centers, and hospitals), warn of leaks, faulty showerheads, and remotely locate breakdowns.
Water-Gen Ltd. has developed battery-operated mobile water-from-air and water purification technologies for military and civilian use. One system can supply water to troops during operations, and future uses include humanitarian aid. The 11-kilogram backpack device filters water from contaminated sources, including deliberately poisoned sources. The device was jointly developed with the Ministry of Defense.
TaKaDu Ltd. is due to soon commercialize its application which enables residents to directly notify their local water company of breakdowns in the municipal or home systems, such as leaks from irrigation pipes, burst mains, and improper water flow to homes.
Applied CleanTech Ltd. has developed an energy-saving sludge recycling system. The system separates the solid waste in sewage treatment plants, reducing the amount of sludge, which is then automatically repackaged into dry, odorless raw materials for the plastics industry. The system is running a pilot at the Safed Sewage Treatment Plant.
Mapal Green Energy Ltd. has developed a floating fine-bubbles aeration system for waste water treatment plants, which slashes their energy consumption.
Blue I Water Technologies Ltd. has developed a water quality application for household, municipal, and industrial use.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 22, 2013
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013