Innovation, policy, and action drive the WASH dialogue at ISH 2025

Global stakeholders convened for the Value of Water Conference, which focused on technology, governance, and partnerships to address the WASH challenge.

Access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation is one of today’s most critical issues. On March 17 and 18, 2025, the inaugural Value of Water Conference brought these problems to the forefront of international discussion. The event, held as part of ISH 2025, was hosted by Messe Frankfurt in collaboration with Euroforum, a company of the Handelsblatt Media Group, and served as a key platform for future-focused solutions. The focus was on UN SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) novel strategies were discussed in an international platform during the two-day conference. High-level speakers from academia, industry, politics, and civil society discussed global issues ranging from water scarcity and financing to circular building concepts and public-private partnerships in poor countries.

Stefan Seitz, Director of Brand Management, ISH, captured the significance of the event:
“The Value of Water Conference powerfully demonstrated that access to clean water and safe sanitation are global challenges that call for innovative solutions and cross-sector collaboration. At the centre of the discourse were urgent questions of water scarcity and hygiene, as well as practical solutions. Topics included technological innovation, sustainable water management, and best practices from around the world. Attendees used the various conference formats to engage deeply with experts and partners. Professional dialogue, interactive formats, and valuable networking opportunities underlined the importance of shared knowledge exchange. The conference provided a central platform for fresh impetus and practical solutions. The conversations made one thing clear: only through cooperation, innovation and sound political direction can sustainable improvements in global water supply be achieved.”

Key subjects of the conference program:

The two-day expert conference brought together international experts in industry, politics, science, development cooperation, and civil society. The agenda focused on global concerns in water and sanitation, ranging from governance to construction technologies.

Day one centred on global frameworks and strategic levers:

·         Re-evaluating water as a global economic resource

·         International water governance in the context of the UN SDGs

·         Financing and regulating water infrastructure

·         Successful EU harmonisation of materials in contact with drinking water

·         Public-private partnerships for sanitation solutions

·         CSR strategies for underserved sanitation markets

·         The influence of indigenous perspectives on global water policy

Day two focused on urban resilience and forward-looking building concepts:

·         Blue-green infrastructures for liveable urban districts

·         Smart buildings and circular water systems

·         Drinking water installations under climate change

·         Circular economy in water management

·         Nutrient recovery in the agri-food system

·         Digital technologies linking water, energy and urban development

International thought leaders and professionals are on site.

The conference included an impressive lineup of international thought leaders andpractitioners. Speakers included Henk Ovink (Global Commission on the Economics of Water), Doulaye Koné (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), Erin McCusker (LIXIL), Hans Jürgen Kalmbach (Hansgrohe), Dr Hans-Otto Pörtner (WBGU / AWI), David Viola (World Plumbing Council), Arthur Valkieser (Hydraloop), Şenol Ağaç (Sustainable Water Consulting), Dr Kristina Bognar (Schneider Electric), and Carolin Stüdemann (Viva con Agua).

Arthur Valkieser, CEO of Hydraloop, highlighted the value of the dialogue: “It was a great pleasure to participate in the Value of Water Conference during ISH. The discussion was lively and interesting, and the questions from the audience were an excellent contribution.”

Carolin Stüdemann, Managing Director of Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli e.V., added:
“The in-depth exchange on global water challenges was particularly inspiring. The potential and the solutions are there – and they can be realised through joint efforts involving both civil society and politics.”

Erin McCusker, Senior Vice President  & Leader of SATO and LIXIL Public Partners – LIXIL, also gave a positive assessment. She emphasised the importance of cross-sector collaboration: “Taking part in the panel discussion and the Conference was an enlightening experience, showing once again that solving WASH challenges requires a concerted effort among private and public sector actors. Addressing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is both a societal imperative and a business opportunity: by innovating to meet the needs of underserved communities today — through smarter, more sustainable, and decentralised solutions — we build the tools, systems, and resilience needed to grow stronger economies and support communities in a changing world.  I appreciated the sense of urgency and bias for action among participants – I hope the conversations catalysed by the conference yield concrete steps and partnerships towards UNWater and other rapidly approaching global milestones.”

The event also featured representatives from major institutions such as WHO, OECD, KfW, the European Commission, GIZ, and Oikocredit, as well as start-ups and researchers from Africa, Asia, and Europe. Tina Teucher, a well-known sustainability and corporate social responsibility specialist, moderated the seminar. Breakout seminars supplemented the main programme, providing hands-on insights into successful initiatives, technologies, and collaborations.

Sustainability through partnership

A robust network of partners enabled the Value of Water Conference 2025.
These included Euroforum (Handelsblatt Media Group) and supporting partners such as Hansgrohe Group, Grohe, Viega, and GFA-News.de, all of which offered essential experience, networks, and content to the event’s success. Selected presentations from the Value of Water Conference will shortly be available here: Presentations | Building Technology.

The next ISH – the World’s Leading Trade Fair for HVAC and Water – will take place from March 15-19, 2027.

For more details, visit: http://www.ish.messefrankfurt.com/press