Wasser 3.0, one of the 15 SIT 2021 finalists, recently received a “green founders” prize at the German Next Economy Award competition organised by Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis (German Sustainability Award Foundation) in cooperation with Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag (Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry DIHK).

Following a pitch to a jury of experts and a vote by the public, Wasser 3.0 was one of the three winners among the nine finalists and 160 candidates at the competition held on 4 December in Düsseldorf.

Wasser 3.0 develops responsible concepts and solutions for the water cycle to detect, remove and reuse microplastics and micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and pesticides. This enables a new level of environmental and health protection in wastewater treatment.

Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis (German Sustainability Award) is the national award for excellence in sustainability in business, municipalities and research. With eight competitions (including the Next Economy Award for “green founders”) and over 1 000 applicants and 2 000 guests at the events, the prize is the most comprehensive of its kind in Europe.

The award is presented by Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis (German Sustainability Award Foundation) in cooperation with the German Federal Government, municipal umbrella associations, business associations, civil society organisations and research institutions. The framework for the award ceremony is Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitstag (German Sustainability Day) in Düsseldorf, the most visited annual communication platform on the topic of sustainable development.