700 leaders amongst 25,000 global participants to forge partnerships, drive innovation and advance solutions to pressing water and climate-related challenges
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 June 2026 - The 11th edition of the Singapore International Water Week (SIWW2026) opens today at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre and runs until 18 June 2026, convening global water leaders, experts, and practitioners to forge partnerships, drive innovation and take meaningful action to solve the world's most pressing water and climate-related challenges.
Centred on three key themes — Municipal Water Solutions, Industrial Water Solutions, and Coastal and Flood Resilience, SIWW2026 brings together 2,000 delegates, including 700 global leaders and 500 exhibiting companies, alongside 25,000 trade visitors expected over the course of the week. With more than 80 sessions, including roundtables and summits to discuss policies and strategies, workshops and forums to advance innovation, and the Water Expo to drive business partnerships, the plethora of activities reflect SIWW's growing importance as a global convening platform where ideas are translated into action.
Delivering the opening address, Guest-of-Honour Mr Gan Kim Yong, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, underscored that water is fundamental to the economy, society, and life itself — and in a world facing climate change and growing uncertainty, a matter of resilience. He called on the international water community to make collective progress across three fronts: investment, innovation, and international cooperation. Highlighting Singapore's recently completed Tengah Service Reservoir as a testament to long-term infrastructure planning, DPM Gan announced an initial S$12 million in Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 (RIE2030) funding to advance research and development of industrial water solutions for wafer fabrication and data centres — two of the most water-intensive sectors underpinning Singapore's economy. This is in addition to the S$85 million committed under RIE2030 for municipal water solutions, to advance water treatment, desalination, emerging contaminants, and sustainable operations.
During the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2026 Award Ceremony, American microbiologist Professor Joan Bray Rose was honoured as the 2026 Laureate for her pioneering work in Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) — a science-based approach to safeguard the quality of drinking water and water for reuse. At the Ministerial Plenary that followed, H.E. Retno Marsudi, United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Water, delivered her keynote remarks, before Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, Ms Grace Fu was joined by foreign dignitaries from Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and the People's Republic of China to discuss how governments can strengthen water security and translate vision into action under the theme "Water Governance for a Circular Economy: From Vision to Action for Prosperity and Resilience". The Ministerial Plenary was organised in collaboration with the World Bank Group.
Yesterday afternoon, ahead of the official opening of SIWW2026, 68 CEOs and senior executives of global water utilities and agencies participated in the Utilities CEO Roundtable for peer-to-peer learning and sharing of best practices. With the theme "How AI could reshape Water Utilities", discussions centred on the transformative potential of AI in reshaping water utilities and enhancing operational resilience. In the same morning, senior officials from nearly 30 cities, including Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, New York City, Antwerp, Dubai, Jakarta, Melbourne, Quezon City, Tokyo and Yokohama, participated in the Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Roundtable to share how cities can adapt their design to strengthen their flood resilience, and forge flood resilient communities.
SIWW2026 also serves as a key global marketplace, with the Water Expo featuring exhibitors from 35 countries and regions, organised by Messe München in cooperation with IFAT, world's leading trade fair for environmental technologies. Spanning six exhibition halls and 23,000 sqm of exhibition space, the Expo includes the largest Singapore Pavilion to date, with 88 exhibitors, and is expected to attract 25% more trade visitors than the previous edition. During the week, the Water Expo will see more than 50 product launches, 26 new project announcements, and 8 MOU and contract signings. Together with the event's business and networking platforms, the Expo reinforces Singapore's position as a global hub for water innovation and international business.
Enhancing Coastal and Flood Resilience
SIWW2026 places greater emphasis on coastal protection and flood management, building on the climate adaptation pillar introduced at SIWW2024. The event supports Go Green SG and Singapore's Year of Climate Adaptation, contributing to collective efforts towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient Singapore.
On 17 June, Minister Grace Fu will deliver a keynote address at the Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders Summit, convening government, city, and industry leaders to share strategies and policies for protecting cities from climate change and sea-level rise. Ms Fu will present Singapore's latest efforts in this area, including the launch of the Coastal Protection Code of Practice to guide landowners and the industry in fulfilling their coastal protection obligations.
Hashtag: #SingaporeInternationalWaterWeek #SIWW2026
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About the Singapore International Water Week
Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is one of the world's premier platforms to share and co-create innovative water, coastal and flood solutions to meet urban water and associated climate challenges.
Organised by Singapore International Water Week Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of PUB, Singapore's National Water Agency, the biennial SIWW delivers a range of flagship programmes and platforms that gathers stakeholders from governments, cities, utilities, academia, and industry to share best practices and solutions, showcase the latest technologies and harness business opportunities.
The 11th Singapore International Water Week will be held from 15 to 18 June 2026.For more information, visit www.siww.com.sg
About SIWW2026 Water Expo
Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is one of the world's premier platforms to share and co-create innovative water, coastal and flood solutions to meet urban water and associated climate challenges.
In cooperation with IFAT and organised by Messe Munich, the SIWW Water Expo is the pre-eminent marketplace for the international water, coastal and flood community to converge and find opportunities in business. The Water Expo showcases the latest state-of-the-art solutions, technologies, products and services for cities, utilities and industry in Asia.
The SIWW2026 Water Expo will take place during SIWW2026 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.
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Harnessing Innovative Technologies to Drive Cultural Mobility and Foster Global Exchange
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 June 2026 - The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), in collaboration with the Center for Metaverse and Computational Creativity at HKUST(Guangzhou), presents the SURREALITY Mixed Reality (MR) × Artificial Intelligence (AI) Digital Art Cross-City Exhibition. As part of HKUST's 35th-anniversary celebrations, an exclusive media preview of the world's first large-scale, cross-regional MR × AI digital art exhibition was held at the University's Clear Water Bay campus.
Showcasing selected works by renowned international and Chinese Mainland digital artists, as well as faculty and students from both campuses, the exhibition integrates creativity with Virtual Reality (VR), MR, and AI technologies. It transforms the campus into a global hub for arts innovation and technological excellence.
The exhibition will open at HKUST(GZ) tomorrow and run through July 31, 2026, before returning to Hong Kong for public engagement. This exhibition exemplifies HKUST's visionary commitment to driving cultural mobility and fostering international exchange through innovative technologies.
Prof. Nancy IP, President of HKUST, remarked, "This event signifies a major milestone for HKUST in its pursuit of integrating technology, humanities, and cross-regional innovation. The national 15th Five-Year Plan released this year explicitly supports Hong Kong in deepening its development as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. In 2024, the HKSAR Government also introduced the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development, outlining plans to develop diverse arts and culture industries with an international perspective, and to establish international platforms that foster East-meets-West arts and cultural exchanges. Local universities play a pivotal role in advancing these initiatives."
"HKUST's Strategic Plan 2031 identifies the integration of innovation and the humanities as a key direction for the University's future development. In line with this vision, we established Hong Kong's first Division of Arts and Machine Creativity, which is committed to creating an innovative platform that fosters the fusion of technology and art while nurturing a new generation of creative talent with strong interdisciplinary perspectives. Hosting initiatives such as SURREALITY and the HKUST AI Film Festival exemplifies this direction and is poised to develop into prominent international platforms that fosters arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world," she added.
Prof. Lionel NI Ming-Shuan, President of HKUST(GZ), stated, "'SURREALITY' is not only the world's first large-scale MR × AI art exhibition, but also a powerful showcase of the strengths of HKUST and HKUST(GZ) in interdisciplinary studies and computational creativity. As a flagship initiative under the 'One HKUST, Complementary Campuses' framework, the two campuses have welcomed artists and young creators from 23 countries and regions, redefining the boundaries of knowledge production and artistic expression through the seamless fusion of the virtual and the real. At a time when the nation is strategically advancing future industries and the Greater Bay Area is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, the digital 'Portal' connecting Clear Water Bay and Nansha represents far more than a technological breakthrough—it embodies a forward-looking model of educational collaboration, where engineering converges with aesthetics, algorithms with poetry, and global vision with local engagement. At thirty-five years old, HKUST remains youthful and dynamic. Guided by this founding aspiration, HKUST(GZ) will continue to advance in step with HKUST, writing a new chapter of integrated innovation and talent development in the Greater Bay Area."
SURREALITY showcases the integration of AI-generated artworks with the physical campus environment, creating an immersive experience through spatial computing and real-time rendering technologies. Across the two campuses, nearly 50 works by more than 70 digital artists from the United States, Germany, Russia, Australia, Bolivia, Singapore, Korea, the Chinese Mainland, and Hong Kong are featured. Presented in innovative and striking forms, these exceptional works from around the world highlight HKUST's strong commitment to advancing interdisciplinary integration.
Today, 19 selected works premiered at the Clear Water Bay campus, where MR-enhanced creations transform the HKUST campus into an immersive, technology-driven art space. By wearing MR headsets, visitors can freely explore three exhibition areas: Living Currents, Future Fables, and Beyond Mind. Several projects created by HKUST(GZ) faculty and students stand out as highlights, with The Gate—built on a metaverse concept—emerging as the centerpiece of the exhibition. As the armillary sphere slowly turns and the portal comes into view, visitors can step inside and instantly traverse the virtual spaces of both campuses, experiencing a groundbreaking sense of cross‑campus, seamless connectivity that embodies the vision of "One HKUST, Complementary Campuses." Another featured work, Kunpeng, symbolizes a spirit of boundless freedom. A giant fish leaps from the nearby Port Shelter in Sai Kung and transforms into a soaring roc that ascends powerfully into the sky. Its majestic presence delivers a striking visual spectacle. The piece The Twinworld Tree creates a dynamic living system formed by the World Tree and virtual life, symbolizing the interdependence of all things, like the tides.
The exhibition also features an MR recreation of a classic work—GFP Bunny, created by internationally acclaimed contemporary artist, Prof. Eduardo KAC, who is also Professor of Art and Technology Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since its debut, this piece has sparked global reflection on genetic modification, bioethics, and the boundaries of art. Mr. ZHANG Yishuai, a PhD student in the Thrust of Computational Media and Arts at HKUST(GZ) and a computational artist, presents Echoes of Earth 2.0, offering a forward-looking perspective on AI and interstellar civilizations. This work enriches the exhibition with a visionary reflection on humanity's aspirations for the future.
Several VR digital art pieces are also on display, including Astra, created by Ms. Eliza MCNITT— Venice Immersive Grand Prize winner and renowned American writer and director—which offers visitors a unique journey of exploration into the universe. Mr. Benedict YU, a VR visual artist from Singapore, presents Mother's Body Remembers, utilizing LiDAR to capture movements and combining VR with tactile interaction to rekindle visitors' memories of family connections. The HKUST XRIM Lab's work, Unfolding Touch, enables a soft-robot-mediated handshake between the Clear Water Bay and Guangzhou campuses, integrating sensing and tactile replication to create a shared touch experience across distance. Other works include My Flower, which invites viewers to experience the daily challenges faced by people with Alzheimer's disease. A short animation, The Cat Ghost, which narrates the relationship between ancient Chinese people and cats from the Western world, is also screened.
Prof. Pan HUI, Chair Professor of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas at HKUST, Acting Head and Chair Professor of the Thrust of Computational Media and Arts, and Director of the Center for Metaverse and Computational Creativity at HKUST(GZ), introduced the core concept of "SURREALITY." He explained that as technologies such as AI, spatial computing, and MR rapidly evolve, digital worlds are transcending screens into real spaces and becoming deeply integrated into people's daily life. SURREALITY explores a new form of reality that may emerge in the future—a scenario where the virtual and the physical are no longer distinctly separate but collectively form the environments in which we perceive, interact, and live. Through artistic creation and immersive experiences, the exhibition offers audiences a glimpse into this transformative vision, prompting reflection on how technology is reshaping humanity's understanding of reality.
The exhibited works come from numerous internationally renowned artists, showcasing the remarkable fusion of creative arts and digital technology. Several prominent participating artists also joined today's event to introduce their works, fostering cross-regional cultural and arts exchanges. They include Prof. Benjamin SEIDE, media artist, VFX expert, and Associate Professor in the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University; Ms. Katerina SEMENKO, a Russian conceptual phygital artist and International Design Award recipient; and Dr. Adam NASH, an Australian digital virtual artist and Honorary Fellow of RMIT University.
Hashtag: #HKUST #HKUST(GZ)
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About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (https://hkust.edu.hk/) is a world-class university known for its innovative education, research excellence, and impactful knowledge transfer. With a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy approach, HKUST was ranked 6th in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026, 3rd in the Times Higher Education's Young University Rankings 2024, and 19th globally and 1st in Hong Kong in the Times Higher Education's Impact Rankings 2025. Eleven HKUST subjects were ranked among the world's top 50 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. In addition, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026, HKUST's Computer Science discipline which encompasses areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, has been ranked No. 1 in Hong Kong for ten consecutive years. Our graduates are highly competitive, consistently ranking among the world's top 30 most sought-after employees. In terms of research and entrepreneurship, over 80% of our work was rated "internationally excellent" or "world leading" in the Research Assessment Exercise 2020 of the Hong Kong's University Grants Committee. As of May 2026, HKUST members have founded over 1,900 active start-ups, including 11 Unicorns and 22 exits (IPO or M&A).
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