Cleveland Water Alliance’s (CWA) Bryan Stubbs and Natalie Van Scyoc recently attended the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in New Orleans, Louisiana. As the world’s largest water quality exhibition, WEFTEC brings together tens of thousands of water professionals, municipal leaders, and technology creators to address the industry's most critical challenges. For CWA, this trip offered a valuable opportunity to track emerging industry trends, present on our work, and connect with global partners and innovators.

Highlighting Innovation in the Great Lakes

Cleveland Water Alliance’s Innovation Operations Coordinator, Natalie Van Scyoc, spoke at a panel session titled "Innovation in the Great Lakes." Joined by Melissa Pierce of Current and moderator Karen Frost of The Water Council, the discussion highlighted how cross-sector collaboration accelerates technology commercialization and drives water innovation across the Great Lakes ecosystem. 

By leveraging the unique strengths of each organization, regional water clusters can effectively bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and real-world adoption, positioning the Great Lakes as a global hub for freshwater solutions.

Connecting with CWA Partners and Innovators

Bryan and Natalie reconnected with several CWA innovators, including South Korea-based company The Wave Talk, who utilizes CWA’s office space in Cleveland. They also caught up with Kubota, who operates a water and environment R&D center in Northeast Ohio, as well as German technology company Haver & Boecker, who maintains a North American facility in Mentor, Ohio. Additionally, the team met up with Cleveland-based company Sorbster Inc. and discussed the success from their CWA-sponsored trip to Singapore International Water Week. 

The team also met with several new innovators to discuss their emerging technologies, including a global innovator actively exploring U.S. expansion opportunities in Ohio. It was also great to catch up with former CWA board member Stephanie Smith, who was exhibiting with her new organization, Sensorex, as well as former U.S. EPA Senior Advisor Sally Gutierrez, who moderated Bryan’s State of the Great Lakes address this past summer.

Engaging with the Water Innovation Ecosystem

Our team was able to meet with several of our international partners, including British Water, who we joined at the RSE reception, Global Affairs Canada, the Catalan Water Partnership, and the Water Alliance at their Netherlands Pavilion. While at the Netherlands Pavilion, CWA discussed plans for our upcoming trip to European WaterTech Week and reconnected with testbed participant Spectromarine and CWA innovator NX Filtration. 

It was also great to connect with several key U.S. and regional partners, including NSF Innovation Engine Great Lakes RENEW, Brown and Caldwell, OTS, HDR, and Accenture. Additionally, our team attended The Water Research Foundation's Paul L. Busch Award luncheon and supported the annual Jammin'4Water benefit concert. 

Driving Innovation for Evolving Market Needs

Attending WEFTEC provided a valuable opportunity for CWA to track the evolving needs and priorities of the water sector. Attending events like the BlueTech Research Breakfast helped the team identify key trends shaping the industry, including PFAS mitigation, updated lead and copper compliance, digital twin integration, and the rising water and energy demands of AI data centers. 

By keeping a pulse on these emerging priorities and market gaps, Cleveland Water Alliance continues to leverage our collaborative ecosystem, testbed infrastructure, and support services to position innovators for market success and real-world adoption.