In collaboration withWORLDImperialCollegeLondonECONOMICFORUMWater-BOOST:Enabling Innovation forFuture-Ready CitiesINSIGHTREPORTOCTOBER2025
ContentsForewordExecutivesummary|Introduction1.1Theneedforurbanwaterinnovation1.2Limitations ofexisting frameworks,13MethoboyBuldingastersbasedappoat140ase-sudyrcies:Adlversetestinground1.5Stakehoderengpagementando-design2Water-BOOST:A systems toolkit for scaling waterinnovation2.1Mapping the water innovation ecosystem2.2Water-BOOSTprincioles3 Water innovation ecosystems in practice: City-level insights3.1SanFrancisco3.2Valencia3.3Singapore3.4Accra3.5Barcelona3.6Bengaluru4Frommapping to strategy:Operationalizing Waler-BOOST4.1Cross-comparisonofcaities4.2Cross-city reflections and emerging impact areas4.3Scalingand futuredirections,4.4WhatWater-BOOSTteachesAppendixCantributorsEndnotesDisclaimers document is pubished by the World Economic Forum asa contribution toraresu.t ofacollaborative proces tacitated and endorsedconomicForum,gnofthenieyofis.Mantbers2025WarldEconomic Forum.Allightsreserved.No partofthis pubicationphotocopying and recording, or by any iniormation storage and retreval system
October2025|Water-BOOST: Enabling ImovationforFuture-ReadyCitiesForewordTaniaStraussMaryRyanHeadofSustinableGrowthand PeapleAgenda; MembeColegeLandonWorldEconomicForumWontd VhaterDay 2025in London andpeserting,the research at high-level panels and strategicdialogues to raise international interest in waterI engagement, the autcomesfthsamnbhtous flowstip pogramme covergea practical toolkit,nap theirenabling(Bridgings and OptimisingSupportToolkit),r-BOOSTisnot anly a toal frciieser-sector ecosystems more broadly,and regionalcontexts. Ithowdiverseactorsgulators,nd communityments in which water solutions are pilotedfcollabarative research and stakeholderngagement, demonstrating the vallue of structuredparestpsamnong academia, ndustyad gobalrganizations to adaress systernic challenges.Jltimately, Water-BOOST is a call to action toproach water-notjust in citiesbut across all water-dependent systems- and tounlock inavation as a catalyst for water security,
Executive summaryCities need enabling environments inwhich innovation can thrive. scale andstrengthen water resilience.Urban water innovation is becoming increasinglyresearch revealed that successful ecosystemsnfrastructure, governance and resaurce securityare not defined by any single actor or technologyYet, despite growing ambition and a steady flowof new technologiles, many solutions remainolders and thed and underfunded, or they fail to scalesuch as permittingergedanovelsystemsthe enablingtimisingSupportToolkit).Wae-BOOSTwas debped uosuportaies,poity-makes undrs ad noatos inasestnglutions from other contexts. Thisants theframework's development andeaty aplication as asysterns-tased appoachfrundersandng,compahingand strergtheningto reflect diverse geographies, governance modelsWat er-BOOST: Enabling Ihnovation for Future-Readly Caities
Theframewark is grounded in three core principlesStrategl recommendationsemergingfomthswork include theneed to:1. Innovati...
