This 60-minute session opens with a 15-minute keynote, followed by in-depth dialogue taking place at 50 roundtables.

We are off track to meet SDG 6, clean water and sanitation for all, by 2030. The gap isn’t just about funding; it’s about missing innovations, overlooked themes, and broken connections between ideas and implementation. Why do so many promising water solutions fail to reach those who need them most? This session is about identifying the blind spots and bridging the gap to ensure no one is left behind.

Sub-themes:

• The innovation blind spots: Are we missing critical areas like affordable desalination, decentralized wastewater treatment, or climate-resilient infrastructure, that could fast-track SDG 6? What “unsexy” but essential innovations (e.g., maintenance systems, behaviour change tools) are being overlooked?
• Scaling what works: Why do some innovations scale effortlessly while others stall? How can we de-risk new technologies for investors and governments? What lessons can we learn from successes?
• Partnerships for impact: How can innovators, governments, and financiers collaborate to turn pilots into million-user solutions? What role can Dutch water tech and innovation hubs play in brokering these connections?
• SDG 6’s missing links: Beyond technology, what social, governance, or financial innovations are needed to close the gap? How do we ensure solutions are inclusive, equitable, and sustainable?

Outcome: each table creates a ‘2030 breakthrough plan’ for one innovation or approach that could significantly accelerate progress toward SDG 6. Include the gap it addresses (e.g., urban water scarcity, data gaps) and the partners needed to scale it as well as why this should be a priority for the UN Water Conference 2026 and Partners for Water 6.