The fourth edition of the Smart Water Summit started on September 28th, 2020 with a programme focused on the irruption of new technologies in the water sector and industry 4.0. The first day of the event included sessions on Commercial and Client Management, and big data and cloud computing, as well as a discussion with Jaime Barba, CEO of Ídrica.
The second day, which took place on Tuesday September 29th, started with a dialogue between Alain Dedieu, President of Water & Wastewater Segment at Schneider Electric, and Olivia Tempest, Content Manager of Smart Water Magazine, where they analysed the future of the digital water market, opportunities and challenges for digitalization during COVID-19 and the importance of corporate sustainability for the water sector.
Alain Dedieu has been the President of the Water and Wastewater Segment at Schneider Electric for just about a month. From his position at Schneider Electric, he looks at the future with optimism and confidence: “I will contribute to managing economic growth while respecting our planet”. Concerning sustainability, the company is committed to a set of objectives in relation to their own operations. In the water sector, Schneider helps to conserve energy and water resources: “Performance is not only efficiency, it is also sustainability”.
Speaking on the current health crisis, Dedieu noted that “it has been an eye-opening exercise for the water industry”, affecting countries in different ways. In this regard, Schneider Electric, which operates in 150 countries, empowers local management companies to be compliant with government measures. To this effect, Dedieu pointed out that the pandemic cannot overshadow the fact that some countries are experiencing water scarcity.
In terms of supporting the water industry in their efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, Alain Dedieu said that automation is about water conservation: “We can skip food, but we cannot skip water”.
About the 2020 Smart Water Summit
The 2020 Smart Water Summit is the fourth edition of this event, organised by iAgua, focused on the irruption of new technologies in the water sector. This year’s discussions, scheduled over four days, focus on the opportunities and challenges brought about by the digital transformation, showcasing cutting edge technologies and prominent success stories by leaders in the sector.
