CASE STUDY 22 Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) PUB has built a leading water innovation hub by supporting the full water-tech life cycle, from funding and test-bedding to scaling and commercialization. Instruments such as the R&D Fund and Industrial Water Solutions Demonstration Fund provide capital, while dedicated facilities enable real-world trials. Scaling is accelerated through the Separation Technologies Applied Research and Translation (START) Centre, the Environmental and Water Technology Centre of Innovation (EWTCOL) and the Singapore Water Exchange,53 a marketplace that clusters over 38 firms and research groups. From 2002- 2022, PUB and partners invested SGD 800 million in 700 projects across 30 countries, and two-thirds have advanced to implementation.54Technology is another critical enabler for water investing. While not capital intensive, it can rapidly enhance operational efficiency and unlock value, strengthening the impact of supportive policy, finance and culture. To bridge the gap between research and large- scale deployment, utilities, investors, start-ups and academia should partner to create water innovation hubs that serve as testbeds for new technologies and business models. The public sector has a role to play, for example by setting overall strategic research and development (R&D) directions and priorities, and by encouraging joint R&D by water utilities and other sectors ((e.g. information and communication technology (ICT), energy and waste)) by launching pilot projects to address specific issues. These hubs can become commercialization platforms that help bridge the “valley of death” by linking start-ups with utilities and investors. This aligns with insights from the Forum’s recently published report, “Water-BOOST: Enabling Innovation for Future-Ready Cities”.Innovation hubs3.3 Technology CASE STUDY 23 Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) MEWA has established a water regulatory sandbox to support the testing and adoption of innovative water-tech solutions within a controlled regulatory environment. The authority has identified core focus areas to guide submissions and foster innovation in the water sector (e.g. smart leakage management and advanced desalination).Innovators are invited to submit proposals that describe regulatory challenges, technical readiness and expected benefits. MEWA reviews applications, grants temporary regulatory flexibility and monitors performance. Insights from these pilots are then used to inform regulatory adjustments and support nationwide scaling of proven technologies, strengthening public-private collaboration.55A regulatory sandbox is a controlled environment that allows innovators to test and validate new technologies under real operating conditions, with temporary regulatory flexibility and close government supervision. Sandboxes enable companies to trial solutions, such as digital monitoring systems, advanced treatment methods and reuse technologies, without full regulatory compliance at the outset, while ensuring safety and oversight – helping regulators learn from innovation and accelerate market adoption of new technologies. Regulatory sandboxes Bridging the €6.5 Trillion Water Infrastructure Gap: A Playbook 35

Bridging the 6.5 Trillion Water Infrastructure Gap A Playbook 2025