XPRIZE Water Scarcity

Good morning and good afternoon, everyone. Welcome back to our GDP and nation Webinar series. This is the first in a series of joint webinars that we will be hosting monthly in the future. I am pleased to introduce the two journals on behalf of my co-editors in Chief, Chia Chen Wang, and our colleagues from DESALINATION.

The Desalination Journal is a leading publication for desalination-related works, focusing primarily on membranes and thermal desalination. If you work in the water area, you are likely aware of this.

The two co-editors in Chief are Professor Tao He from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ho Kyong Shon from UTS in Australia. This edition is a leading journal in the area, highly selective in terms of submission and consideration of papers. It has been running for over 30 years, since Professor Maya Baran established the journal in the late eighties.

We are a relatively new journal, having been established about 10 years ago. I took over as the core editor of the Journal of Water Process Engineering at the end of last year, alongside Professor Chao Chen Wang. Our journal, GWPE, focuses on water treatment technologies, including physical, chemical, membrane, biological, and modeling approaches. We do not cover desalination. Our topics include wastewater treatment, industrial wastewater treatment, resource recovery, and other relevant subjects. We have a high acceptance rate of around 80%, as we strive to publish the best research in the field and support the community in sharing these findings.

About 18 months ago, we began several outreach activities with GW Pe. We have focused on enhancing our social media presence, particularly on LinkedIn, WeChat, and Twitter. We promote various activities like hot papers, webinars, and opportunities such as the XPRIZE, which was announced at the end of last year.

One of our ongoing activities is a monthly webinar series, and we have a special event coming up in two weeks called the Three Minute Thesis Pitch. This event is for PhD students worldwide, with 58 confirmed candidates presenting their research on September 25th. The event is open to the public, and the link will be shared on social media soon.

We recently announced the Trailblazer Award, a mid-career researcher award for water technologies. The submission deadline is October 2024, targeting academic and industry researchers who have excelled in developing water materials. We also welcome proposals for Virtual Special Issues.

Overall, we have been active in promoting various topics since early 2023, with around 15 webinars covering different research aspects of water technologies.

Today, we are pleased to announce our new co-branding partnership with DESALINATION. We are honored to be working together.

I have already explained the pitch. Welcome aboard. It is a pleasure to have you and Elizabeth here to present the XPRIZE. I believe it will be of interest to many people in the assembly, both in China and globally. We have two platforms for this presentation. We are looking forward to your presentation and the discussion that will follow. If you have any questions, please feel free to put them in the chat or ask them directly to Elizabeth.

We will now go through with you, Elizabeth. You can share your screen and start your presentation. Thank you.

Thank you, Ludo and the JWPE team, for hosting us today. I am excited to discuss the XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition and how you can participate. As mentioned by Ludo, we will have time for questions at the end. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

XPRIZE is a nonprofit foundation with a mission to accelerate an equitable and abundant future for all. We achieve this by operating the world's largest incentive prize competitions that inspire and empower problem solvers around the world to focus on a single goal. We believe that the next great solution can come from anywhere to solve the world's greatest problems. Today, we are focusing on water scarcity.

Our approach involves setting audacious but achievable goals to address global competitions for the world's largest problems. We crowdsource scientifically viable solutions from participants and foster an effective ecosystem of support to accelerate impact.

X Prize recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. In that time, 30 prizes have been launched, resulting in $150 million in awarded prize purses and$361 million in currently available prize purses, including the $119 million water scarcity prize. X Prize teams have filed over 1,695 patents, collaborated with over 360 prize partners, and filed over 592 trademark filings. Additionally, there have been over 1,046 research publications citing X Prize competitors and teams.

The grand challenge areas have been divided into seven domains, including Biodiversity + Conservation, Climate + Energy, Health, Deep Tech and Learning + Society, and Space + Exploration. These domains include prizes such as a rainforest prize, a carbon removal prize, a health span prize, and others. Space + Exploration was the initial focus of X Prize.

Our prize today is in the Food + Water + Waste domain. We encourage you to visit our website to learn about the Water Scarcity XPRIZE and our other active domains. Over the past 30 years, we have had over 35,000 competitors globally and over 10,600 teams from 173 countries.

Teams that participate in X Prize, even if they do not advance to the SEMIFINALS or Finals, are invited to join the X Prize alumni community. This allows teams to stay connected with other competitors and some have even gone on to launch companies through this network.

Today, we will discuss XPRIZE Water Scarcity. We are tasked with designing a prize that envisions a world where clean water is plentiful and sustainable, benefiting both people and the environment.

Some of you on the call are familiar with water scarcity. One in four people worldwide lack access to clean water. 80% already suffer threats to water security, and less than half a percent of the world's water is available for use. By 2030, 40% of global water needs will not be met.

This issue is currently affecting people worldwide. This summer, many countries and cities came close to reaching day zero. The map illustrates the global scope of the issue and shows that the threat is ongoing.

The United Nations recognized the human right to water in 2010. In 2015, the UN established SDG #6 with the goal of ensuring "clean water and sanitation for all" by 2030. This goal is essential for achieving sustainable development objectives in various areas. Agriculture is closely linked to water scarcity.

The issue of water pollution is worsening due to an increase in population and the resulting increase in water consumption and pollution generation. Additionally, more people are living in densely populated coastal cities. Global warming is affecting surface water quantity, further worsening the problem. Climate change is also impacting the reliability and quality of water sources.

The core problems of seawater desalination today are affordability for low and medium income communities, incremental advancements, complex and vulnerable operations, and an unsustainable life cycle.

The XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition offers $119 million over five years to revolutionize seawater desalination technologies. It is the largest XPRIZE ever launched with the biggest prize purse and one of the longest running competitions. The goal is to develop innovative, reliable, affordable, and sustainable solutions to provide widespread access to clean water while also considering the preservation of marine life and the environment.

We would like to thank our sponsor, the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative, for their generous support of the XPRIZE Water Scarcity prize. The prize is operated independently from the Mohamed bin Zayed Water Initiative. Their support has made this prize possible and they are also involved in innovative water projects that are worth exploring.

We are grateful to our advisory board for their guidance during the design phase of the prize and ongoing support. They provide advice on various aspects of the prize and important considerations. The board members bring a wealth of experience. We look forward to working with them as we manage the prize for the next five years.

XPRIZE Water Scarcity offers three primary ways to compete in this competition. Track A focuses on full-scale desalination system innovation. Track B centers on innovating novel membrane materials. Additionally, there is a third phase of the competition, which is not considered a track but its own competition. This phase involves an ideas competition focused on the value of water and is set to launch in 2027.

Track A focuses on system level innovation, with the Winning Team aiming to sustainably produce 1000 m³/d of potable water from seawater at a cost below a target benchmark over a 12-month period. The primary goals of the competition include achieving a flow rate of 1000 m³ a day, meeting WHO Standards for Drinking Water Quality, and staying below a specified cost based on the Total Cost of Water (TCOW) model scenario analysis provided to teams before SEMIFINALS.

The competition aims to address global water scarcity by encouraging solutions that are accessible and cost-effective. In addition to the primary goals, there are MOONSHOT AWARDS available for breakthroughs in Sustainability. These awards recognize achievements such as marine-friendly intake design, minimizing impact on marine environments, promoting brine circularity, improving energy efficiency, and reducing land footprint. While these awards are optional, all teams must first meet the primary competition goals.

We are currently in the Registration period for the competition. If you are interested in participating, please create a team online after this call. The QUALIFYING technical submission will open in October, which will require a written proposal outlining system innovations, technical approach, and strategies. An independent judging panel will review all submissions that meet the criteria.

Teams that pass the initial submission will move on to the QUALIFIED TEAM TESTING phase. This phase involves demonstrating a system producing one cubic meter a day over two weeks at 30% uptime. Teams can test at their chosen locations, and our judging panel will evaluate them for the next round.

The SEMIFINALS TESTING phase will require a pilot-scale demonstration of a system producing 100 cubic meters a day over a month at 50% uptime. Teams will continue testing at their chosen locations, and up to teams will be evaluated for this round.

For the FINALS TESTING phase, only five teams will make it to the finals round. This phase will involve demonstrating a system producing 1,000 cubic meters a day over a year at 70% uptime.

Teams will participate in Finals at an XPRIZE selected location. Additional information will be provided to teams during SEMIFINALS TESTING. Up to five teams will be evaluated at this stage. The Track A TIMELINE began officially at the end of February. Currently, we are in a Registration period and will soon open QUALIFYING technical submissions on October 1st for both Track A and Track B. Teams are encouraged to submit as soon as possible, as applications will be approved on a rolling basis. The deadline to register is the end of March 2025, but early registration is recommended. QUALIFIED teams will be announced starting in June 2025, followed by QUALIFIED Team TESTING. The competition will progress over five years, with WINNERS announced in September 2028.

Teams will unlock funding as they progress in the competition, receiving a portion of the prize purse for demonstrating their technology. There is no limit to the number of qualified teams, with the total award being distributed among all advancing teams up to the semifinals. From the semifinals onwards, there is a cap on the number of teams that can receive funding. Throughout the competition, teams will continue to receive a portion of the prize purse until the finals round.

Track B in the competition focuses on novel membrane materials for treating seawater to potable water quality using reverse osmosis membranes. The Winning Team will need to demonstrate an operational lifetime of at least 10 years. Teams will receive additional information on how to test for this capability.

The primary goals of the competition include treating seawater, meeting WHO standards for drinking water quality, and ensuring no harmful by-products with flat sheet membrane technology. Teams must also develop a scalability plan considering salt rejection percentage and create a Safety Data Sheet.

There are also bonus goals outlined in the competition guidelines for teams to explore.

Track B is slightly shorter than Track A, but this was intentional so that it aligns with Track A for teams interested in participating in both tracks. Registration is currently open and we encourage teams to sign up. QUALIFYING submissions will open on October 1st, and similar to Track A, teams will need to submit a written technical proposal outlining their innovation, scalability, feasibility, plan, and team strategy for our independent judging panel to review.

Teams that are deemed QUALIFIED by the judging panel will move on to QUALIFIED Team TESTING, where they will submit a video showcasing their operational solution and explaining their approach to meet the evaluation criteria. Teams will also test their chosen location for the spa. SEMIFINALS TESTING will require teams to submit three samples of 4" x 6" flat sheet membranes, along with a scalability plan, Safety Data Sheet, and life cycle analysis at an XPRIZE selected test site, with up to 30 teams being evaluated.

For FINALS TESTING, teams will need to submit six samples of 4" x 6" flat sheet membranes, along with a cost analysis, improved scalability plan, Safety Data Sheet, and any changes made from SEMIFINALS TESTING. This phase will also take place at an XPRIZE selected test site, with up to five teams being evaluated. The progression through the competition follows a step-by-step format with a similar timeline. Teams can register now and start submitting their QUALIFYING SUBMISSIONS on October 1st.

The registration deadline for Track A is sooner than Track B. Teams are encouraged to submit early as they are approved on a rolling basis. Once approved as a qualified team, they will be announced in June 2025 and winners will be awarded in April 2027.

Teams in Track A will receive a portion of the prize purse as they reach technical milestones and advance their technology. Semifinalist teams will be awarded $10,000 each, while finalists will receive$220,000 each. In 2027, an ideas competition will be launched to engage the public in rethinking the value of water.

The Winning Team will create a novel, inclusive, engaging, and sustainable idea to redefine the global perception of the value of water. We encourage participants to think big and more details will be announced closer to 2027. Our current focus is on Track A and Track B, which will include SEMIFINALS and Finals. The SEMIFINALS will involve a public perception campaign and a video pitch, while the Finals will have a live pitch in front of an independent judging panel. We are excited to see the amazing ideas that come from this competition and will provide more details as we approach 2027.

We do have a small prize purse for this competition.

X Prize can design an amazing competition.

Teams are essential to X Prize, as we believe that solutions to the world's biggest problems, such as water scarcity, can come from anyone, anywhere. X Prize rewards teams for their performance, not just their potential. Throughout the competition, teams must demonstrate their ability to tackle the challenges at hand. We aim to create a prize community of innovators and encourage collaboration among teams and industries. X Prize allows teams to join forces and collaborate by creating a profile online and attending prize summits held throughout the year. Join us to meet other teams and find ways to combine your unique skills.

XPRIZE is expecting to see a variety of teams in the competition, with several already preregistered. We encourage individuals with different backgrounds to join, regardless of whether they fit into a specific category. It is important for teams to understand their own skill sets. We are excited to see who will participate and encourage you to reach out with any questions as you begin the competition.

Teams compete in XPRIZE for a variety of reasons. One reason is technology validation. As teams reach technical milestones, they are able to test their technology and track its progress throughout the five-year competition. Another benefit is access to testing grounds. During the finals, teams will have access to XPRIZE-selected locations. Additionally, teams will have access to partner benefits, including networking opportunities and fundraising opportunities. Media exposure is also a key aspect of the competition, providing teams with a platform to showcase their technology. Overall, participating in XPRIZE allows teams to join a community of individuals working towards addressing water scarcity.

We are fortunate to have a considerable interest in the competition. Over 206 teams have created a profile online and indicated their interest in competing, with over 260 team members from 54 countries. We hope many of you on the call will preregister for the competition and join us after this webinar. If you have any questions, please let us know.

In this phase of the competition, we have been focused on amplification and endorsement to promote the competition. We have had support from partners such as IDRA, Global Water Intelligence, and NAMS. We will be attending the IDRA World Congress at the end of the year and hope to see some of you there.

We are also seeking future partner opportunities, especially for testing support and mentoring teams to help them succeed.

A team may be seeking support for validating their technology before a specific round in the competition. We are open to hearing from partners with creative ideas on how to get involved. If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to me.

I would like to discuss Registration, as we are currently live and the next few months and early next year are the only stages in the competition when teams can register.

We encourage people on this call to join us during this period. Registration is currently open for both Track A and Track B. QUALIFYING submissions for both tracks open on October 1st.

Registration for Track A will close on March 31st, while registration for Track B will close on January 31st. Teams are encouraged to submit their registrations as soon as possible, as they are approved on a rolling basis. This will give them more time for the next phase of the competition. However, teams do have until the end of April for Track A and the end of February for Track B to submit their registrations if they prefer.

When you go online to register, you will create a team profile in our Prize Operations Platform (POP). Teams can read and acknowledge the Competitor Agreement and the agreement from our sponsor, the Mohammed bin Zayed Water Initiative. There is also a brief registration survey to fill out, along with a small registration fee of $700 for Track A and$500 for Track B. If you are participating in both tracks, you only need to pay one registration fee. Teams will need to be a legal entity to participate in the competition, so we encourage early preparation for this requirement.

To get started, visit www.xprize.org/prizes/water and click "Join the Competition." This will take you to the Prize Operations Platform, which is linked off the main website.

To access the website, look for the login or register option at the top right corner of the page. Click on the appropriate option based on whether you already have an account or are a new user.

Teams must complete the registration process before they can submit their qualifying submission on October 1st. Only fully registered teams are eligible to submit. It is important to start the process early if interested. The qualifying submission provides information for the judging panel to evaluate teams for the next round of testing. It is recommended to submit early to have more time to prepare for later rounds. Selected qualified teams will have access to upcoming events.

We are looking to build a community around XPRIZE Water Scarcity. To do this, we are hosting a prize summit in New Orleans at West on October 6th.

Participation in the networking events is optional and will not affect a team's ability to compete or win. These events provide an opportunity to connect with our team, other teams, and partners. We will be attending the African Membrane Society Congress in Ethiopia, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in December, and the One Water Summit. Additionally, there will be a Prize Summit at the IDRA World Congress in Abu Dhabi at the end of December, similar to this one, which is also optional. We would love to see some of you there.

We would love to have you join us. If you're interested in competing, the next steps would be to log into the Water Scarcity Prize Operations Platform (POP) and register for the competition. Qualifying submissions open October 2024. Teams are encouraged to submit as soon as they are ready. We would love to see you at one of our upcoming prize events. Register here: https://www.xprize.org/prizes/water/events. Submit any questions to waterscarcity@xprize.org.

To get started, scan the QR code. After that, we will open the floor for questions. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

To get started, scan the QR code provided. After that, we will open the floor for questions. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.