Water BOOST Enabling Innovation for Future Ready Cities 2025

Valencia’s water innovation ecosystem reflects a legacy of adaptive resilience and strong private- sector leadership, yet it faces institutional and governance challenges that limit systemic scaling. The city’s history of bold decisions in large infrastructure – most notably the post-1957 Turia River diversion37 – highlights its approach to responding to water-related shocks with long-term urban planning and infrastructure investments. Recent flooding events underscore the urgency of innovation and capacity-building: in October 2024, Valencia experienced one of its most severe flood episodes in decades,38 highlighting the need for forward-looking strategies that integrate digital, decentralized and nature-based solutions.3.2 Valencia Water-BOOST diagram for Valencia FIGURE 9 Source: World Economic ForumDisclaimer note: The stakeholder gr oups and organizations listed in this diagram r epresent a sample of those engaged in this r esear ch. Their inclusion does not imply exclusivity , nor does it suggest that other actors within these gr oups ar e less r elevant or less active. Categorization is indicative and should not be interpr eted as fixed.Global Omnium G1 Valencian Institute of Cooperation and Innovation (IVACE+i) + Jucar River Basin Authority (CHJ) G2 Idrica and Xylem Vue + Auravant + Agrow Analytics + FivecommA1 GoHub + Clean Connect VLC A2 Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV ; DIHMA and IIAMA)S1 Spanish Water Technology Platform (PTEA)S2Weak enablerG2SE2 E3E1 E2G1 E5 A2 A1 SE1S1 S2SE3E4 At the governance level, service provision is dominated by concession contracts led by Global Omnium (GO), Valencia’s primary private utility, which operates with efficiency and digital maturity. However, direct collaboration and alignment with public authorities – principally the Valencian Institute of Cooperation and Innovation (IVACE+i) and the Jucar River Basin Authority (CHJ) – remains limited. Coordination mechanisms (E1) between utility operators and regulators are often informal and project-based, and regulatory frameworks tend to be risk-averse and administratively rigid, offering few incentives for experimentation or decentralized treatment adoption. Valencia’s innovation within the aquapreneurship layer is a recognized regional strength. Led by GO’s digital spin-off Idrica, the city also hosts a thriving cluster of technology-driven start-ups such as Auravant, Agrow Analytics and Fivecomm. While the private sector demonstrates strong innovation and operational uptake, these efforts remain largely embedded within corporate domains. Expanding cross-level enablers (E4) and establishing stronger bridges with public authorities and urban planning agendas through multistakeholder mechanisms (E5) could enable broader scaling and cross-sector impact, ensuring that high-tech solutions contribute not only to operational efficiency but also to Valencia’s long-term urban water resilience goals. Supporting stakeholders also play a critical role in Valencia’s ecosystem. The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), through its Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Environment (DIHMA) and Research Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (IIAMA), provides deep technical expertise and participates in multiple joint projects with public and private partners (SE2). National-level networks such as the Spanish Water Technology Platform (PTEA) foster knowledge exchange and sector-wide dialogue, although their influence on local governance remains limited (SE3). Water-BOOST: Enabling Innovation for Future-Ready Cities 24