GPID 2024

The GPID 2024 Challenge

Water scarcity is a growing global issue, affecting 26% of the world’s population. As a result, the Global Prize for Innovation in Desalination (GPID) was founded by the Saudi Water Authority (SWA) in 2023 to support breakthrough solutions in desalination technology. In response, GPID 2024 aimed to expand its reach, attract high-caliber innovators, and encourage applications from across the water technology spectrum. To achieve this, it needed a scalable and effective approach to sourcing and evaluating top-tier solutions.

GPID 2024 Solution: Driving Water Innovation

To support its mission, the GPID partnered with Wazoku to leverage our open innovation ecosystem and connect with a diverse pool of problem solvers. Specifically, through targeted outreach, a structured challenge framework, and an advanced submission platform, GPID 2024 identified, engaged, and evaluated leading innovators from across the globe.

How Wazoku Helped

• Innovation Platform – We hosted GPID 2024’s five challenge categories, providing a secure, enterprise-grade submission portal.
• Targeted Engagement – Our global network activated the Innocentive Crowd of 730,000+ solvers, enabling direct outreach to 2,500+ companies and engagement with 100+ water technology firms.
• Strategic Awareness – By utilizing a mix of paid and organic marketing, we delivered 1.6 million impressions across social media and secured 620+ media placements.
• Process Management – We optimized challenge structures, hosted interactive webinars, and guided solvers through the application process, ensuring high-quality submissions.

Impact

GPID 2024 exceeded expectations, achieving:

• 209 high-quality applications from 37 countries
• Five winners from the Innocentive Crowd, including researchers from Columbia University and CyFract
• 32 shortlisted innovators attended a global event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Winning projects secured funding, prototyping support, and accelerator opportunities at the Saudi Water Innovation Center (SWIC)

Continuing the Innovation Journey

The GPID has proven to be a powerful catalyst for advancing desalination innovation, connecting groundbreaking ideas with the resources and support needed to scale. By leveraging Wazoku’s open innovation ecosystem, GPID successfully attracted top-tier innovators and delivered real-world impact in the water sector. With ongoing efforts to improve water security, GPID continues to set the benchmark for collaborative problem-solving in environmental sustainability.

Collaborate for a Sustainable Future

Join forces with Wazoku to harness innovation across industries, tackle global challenges, and drive sustainable impact.

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