Executive summary Urban water innovation is becoming increasingly critical in addressing mounting pressures on infrastructure, governance and resource security. Yet, despite growing ambition and a steady flow of new technologies, many solutions remain fragmented and underfunded, or they fail to scale. This research, supported by the Hoffmann Fellowship and conducted through a collaboration between the Forum and Imperial College, began by asking: what conditions allow urban water innovation to thrive – and how do key actors and institutions need to interact for that to happen? Drawing on systems thinking, the research project investigated the governance structures, financing mechanisms, partnerships and institutional alignments that shape water innovation ecosystems. The analysis focused on six cities – San Francisco, Valencia, Singapore, Accra, Barcelona and Bengaluru (Bangalore) – selected to reflect diverse geographies, governance models and innovation contexts.Findings from stakeholder engagement and field research revealed that successful ecosystems are not defined by any single actor or technology. Instead, progress depends on the quality of relationships between stakeholders and the enabling mechanisms – such as permitting frameworks, investment structures or cross-sector platforms – that connect them. From this insight emerged a novel systems framework to better understand the enabling environments: Water-BOOST (Bridging Opportunities and Optimising Support Toolkit). Water-BOOST was developed to support cities, policy-makers, funders and innovators in assessing ecosystem functionality, identifying gaps and adapting solutions from other contexts. This report presents the framework’s development and early application as a systems-based approach for understanding, comparing and strengthening enabling environments for water innovation.Cities need enabling environments in which innovation can thrive, scale and strengthen water resilience. Water-BOOST: Enabling Innovation for Future-Ready Cities 4

Water BOOST Enabling Innovation for Future Ready Cities 2025