Sydney Water Innovation Festival

The brilliant get-together

The Sydney Water Innovation Festival (SWIF) creates a safe and inclusive space for industry, government, academia, local communities and global stakeholders to inspire, connect, collaborate and innovate to solve some of the greatest challenges facing the water industry and broader society.

Register now

About the event

Our motivation for the Sydney Water Innovation Festival 2022 (SWIF22) is to encourage a culture of innovation and create a better life with world-class water services. We want to empower our people and partners to move beyond their day jobs and take the opportunity to create fresh ideas and projects that will deliver value to our customers and the community.

The innovation themes we invite you to explore with us:
  1. Water security, resilience and environmental performance
  2. Liveability and sustainability
  3. Smart cities
  4. Circular economy
  5. Customer experience
  6. Diversity and inclusion

What to expect from SWIF22

We're once again collaborating with Northumbrian Water Group to bring the Innovation Festival to Australia and share ideas from around the globe.

Spread across 5 action-packed days from 25 to 29 November 2022, SWIF22's key focus will be on reconnecting people with urban waterways with the opening of swim sites as part of our Summer of Swimming in conjunction with the Urban Plunge initiative. 

Our Innovation Hub at the Australian National Maritime Museum will host thought leadership keynote addresses and panel discussions, plus 6 Tech Tanks, which aim to fast-track the development of new and innovative ways to solve some of our greatest challenges.

We'll showcase emerging innovations and technologies and some of our innovation success stories in the water industry, as well as the outcomes of the Design Sprints and Data Hackathon.

The 'Great Debate with the UK' will be back, along with entertainment, networking and engagement opportunities. We will also host a special cultural immersion activity to celebrate First Nations peoples.

Sponsorship opportunities

Sydney Water is seeking partners and sponsors aligned with our purpose, values and brand. We fundamentally believe in open innovation and solving industry's biggest challenges together. Find out more about SWIF22 in the sponsorship prospectus.

We're proud to be working with Isle Utilities Australia. If you're interested in sponsoring, please email their principal consultant Ani Nair at ani.nair@isleutilities.com.

SWIF22 University Student Competition

This is the opportunity for final-year uni students to pitch creative and innovative ideas to enhance the ability of Australia's largest water utility and the wider industry. The aim is to attract and develop early career talent to sustain Sydney as a great place to work and live.  

Get inspiration for your pitch from the Innovation Festival Student Competition 2022 brochure.
 

Submitting your application

Develop your ideas into a 2–3 minute video. Your video will be assessed based on its relevance, originality, persuasiveness, clarity and practicality.

Before you create and send your video to us, read the Sydney Water Innovation Festival 2022 University Student Competition instructions. 

The submission deadline is 11:59pm Friday 11 November 2022.

We look forward to seeing what you create.

Urban Plunge Tech Summit 2022

Date: 25 November 2022  
Location: Parramatta Square and online 
Time: Full-day event – exhibition opens at 8:30am

The Urban Plunge Tech Summit 2022 is an industry-based event showcasing techniques and innovations that can make swimming and aquatic recreation in our waterways easier, cheaper and safer to deliver. The Tech Summit is a highlight of the 2022 Sydney Water Innovation Festival program.   

Register now

For further information and to get involved, email urbanplunge@sydneywater.com.au.

Our partners 

The Sydney Water Innovation Festival 2022 (SWIF22) will bring together diverse perspectives in a creative and safe environment to connect and co-create ideas to solve some of the greatest challenges facing the water industry and broader society. 

Platinum partners

Gold partners

Silver partners

Bronze partners

Venue sponsor

SWIF22 Program

Thursday 10 November – Wednesday 16 November
Theme Challenge Statement Structure Online / In person

Water security, resilience and environmental performance

Create (and further enhance) our virtual emergency management capability, where the ECC staff and other stakeholders are empowered to operate remotely/virtually as part of an effective team. 

Sprint

Online

Diversity and inclusion

Increase trust in Sydney Water by building better ways to communicate and engage CALD customers regarding the water cycle, products and services, and support offerings.

Sprint

In person

CX and smart cities

What insights can we generate on water use / behaviours / savings opportunities for different segments of our residential customer base and try to understand behaviours by various attributes? e.g. renters vs owner-occupiers, household size and demographics, land size and location.

Hackathon

Hybrid

Liveability and sustainability

Reimagining the approach to the water balance to one that is integrated, adaptive, flexible and fairer, and able to tackle emerging issues in the management of the river systems across the state.

Sprint

In person

Circular economy

Keeping water in the system to achieve urban greening and cooling outcomes, particularly in Western Sydney.​

Sprint

Online

Water security, resilience and environmental performance

For new systems being designed for the future, trial an approach that aims for a superior environmental performance and eliminates overflow under wet and dry conditions. In doing so, adopting a risk-based approach to health, regulation and the environment.

Sprint

TBC
Live event
Time Event details Location

8:30am–3:30pm

Urban Plunge Tech Summit 2022

The Urban Plunge Tech Summit is an industry-based event showcasing techniques and innovations that can make swimming and aquatic recreation in our waterways easier, cheaper and safer to deliver. If you'd like to find out more and get involved, email urbanplunge@sydneywater.com.au.

Parramatta Square and online 

3:30pm–5:30pm

Sydney Water Innovation Festival 2022 Opening Ceremony

Program coming soon

Parramatta Square and online   
Monday 28 November

Program coming soon

Tuesday 29 November

Program coming soon