Dow Collaborates with IBM on Innovative Solutions to Global Water Challenge
 |
 |
 |
Against this backdrop, The Dow Chemical Company was proud to collaborate with IBM on its Global Innovation Outlook (GIO) on Water – a series of brainstorming sessions around the world. These sessions brought together hundreds of the world’s leading water management experts to discuss strategies for improving the efficiency of the world’s water systems.
“Dow believes that providing sustainable resolution to the global water challenge requires a collaborative approach from governments, businesses and humanitarian organizations,” said Neil C. Hawkins, Dow’s vice president of Sustainability. “Participating in IBM’s multi-stakeholder GIO process certainly allowed us to learn the perspectives of other key stakeholders and exchange ideas on how technology can help address the challenges we face.”
Global Innovation Outlook on Water
As a thought leader in water management and producer of leading technologies for water treatment, Dow was asked by IBM to collaborate on the GIO on Water during the second half of 2008. In nine meetings, held in seven locations around the world, this GIO brought together 158 renowned experts to discuss the role of innovation in solving the world’s water challenge.
Substantial opportunities emerged to bring new policies, new business models and information technology to bear on the many issues and opportunities that exist around the global economy's ever-growing dependence on water.
"The sessions revealed that society and business are facing some complex challenges when it comes to understanding and managing water resources on this planet,” said Sharon Nunes, vice president for Big Green Innovations at IBM. “Without sufficient insight into factors affecting water supply and usage, you increasingly run the risk of failure. Technology will play an important role in supplying water to the billions of future urban dwellers. Smart infrastructure will provide solutions to address urbanization.”
The GIO is IBM’s unique collaborative innovation process, which brings together a diverse array of global thought leaders to work together on innovation that benefits business and society. A key part of the GIO process is that the insights are shared openly through a report and a variety of online media.
Dow’s Commitment to Water
At Dow, the commitment to water is translated into concrete activities centered on the development of products and solutions that will increase access to affordable, quality drinking water – while optimizing the Company’s own water use.
Since 1994, Dow has reduced wastewater globally by 38 percent – despite production rising by 32 percent. Dow’s current activities are, in part, driven by the Company’s 2015 Sustainability Goals.
- Drive a 35 percent reduction in the cost of water reuse and desalination through component technology advances
- Be a key enabler of low-cost technologies and business models for small water treatment systems in the developing world
- Develop and implement minimal discharge plant designs while continuously improving Dow’s water use efficiency
- Catalyze awareness and action on the global safe water crisis by leading innovative partnerships with corporations, NGOs and government agencies
Right now, Dow Water Solutions is focusing its technologies squarely on developing solutions for the problem of fresh water scarcity. These technologies center on desalination, purification, water re-use and efficiency – and include reverse osmosis membranes, ultra-filtration membranes, arsenic removal media and ion exchange resins.
To find out more about what Dow is doing to help overcome the world’s water crisis, visit these stories:
Dow: A Global Advocate for Clean, Drinkable Water
Dow Technologies Make Undrinkable Water Drinkable
Recycle-Reuse Thinking: Dow’s Water Optimization Efforts
