Programme of over 60 youth events across 47 countries
Xylem has expanded its investment in youth innovation to empower the next generation to address water challenges. The diverse programme, including over 60 events in 2021, builds on Xylem’s 25-year sponsorship of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize with innovation competitions, in addition to community outreach initiatives and a global innovation incubator programme.
The winner of the 2021 Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) will be announced at a ceremony on August 24, during World Water Week. The annual competition brings together students from 40 countries, and has enabled an estimated 125,000 youth innovators to bring forward solutions to urgent water challenges since the competition began in 1996.
Patrick Decker, CEO at Xylem, said: “With water challenges intensifying by the day, we are investing in the next generation of water innovators. Young people have a leading role to play in putting water issues on the agenda – and solving them. They inspire us, and the world will gain from their passion and creativity.”
SJWP is one of 60 youth-oriented events Xylem invests in, around the world, under the banner of Xylem Ignite, its dedicated student development programme targeting students worldwide. Since the programme’s inception last year, Xylem Ignite has already engaged more than 6,600 students in creative water-oriented hackathons and sustainability events, including over 650 participants from 47 countries competing in the Xylem Global Student Innovation Challenge. The challenges include reducing the water footprint of everyday products, gamifying water quality education, predicting urban floods, and designing a water system for life on Mars.
Participants can also apply to be a part of the Xylem Ignite Innovation Incubator. The Incubator programme provides up to 12 months’ support for participants to scale up their innovations and advance them toward market readiness.
