BlueNotes

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Jun 2026

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Short on time, big on staying informed? BlueTech Research brings you BlueNotes, the podcast that makes knowledge bite-sized and easy to digest! Join dynamic hosts Divya Inna and Rhys Owen for 10-minute conversations packed with insights on the latest breakthroughs in BlueTech. Listen while you commute, walk the dog, or unwind – it’s the perfect way to stay ahead of the curve without getting stuck to a screen. Subscribe now and unlock a smarter, more informed you!

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60 recent

June 9, 2026Episode 519 min

AI, acids and advanced materials science

After slow adoption and several defunct companies, with Aquatech acquiring Fluid Technology Solutions has forward osmosis finally found its technological niche? Why is Tesla/xAi presenting at Singapore Water Week? And how could reusing acids be a game-changer across so many industries? Rhys Owen and Divya Inna discuss the month's developments from BlueTech's perspective, including a look at advanced materials science, direct potable reuse frameworks, industrial water reuse requirements and PFAS treatment obligations.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

May 27, 20268 min

When water gets sold before it exists

The Harbor Island desalination project in Texas hasn’t broken ground yet — and much of the water is already spoken for.In this episode, Lovejit Singh explores why the selection of IDE Technologies by the Nueces River Authority may represent a broader shift in how water infrastructure is financed, contracted, and valued. As industrial demand accelerates across manufacturing, petrochemicals, hydrogen, and data infrastructure, utilities are increasingly planning around future scarcity rather than reacting to crisis.The signal is subtle but significant: water infrastructure is starting to behave less like public utility planning — and more like strategic asset acquisition.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, you can learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

May 20, 20269 min

The cheapest water is the water you never lose

Creating new water is one response to scarcity. Preventing the loss of existing water may be another.In this episode, Dr Bilal Asif examines the growing strategic importance of non-revenue water, using Thames Water’s major leak detection tender as a signal of where the market is heading. From acoustic monitoring to AI-assisted analytics, utilities are increasingly investing in technologies that give continuous visibility into the network itself.Because the future of water resilience may depend not only on producing more water, but on understanding where it is being lost in the first place.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

May 13, 20266 min

Would you drink this? From wastewater to drinking water.

Direct potable reuse has always been technically possible — but rarely trusted. In this episode, Rhys Owen examines the Hofstade DPR scheme in Belgium, where bNovate’s BactoSense and partners like Aquafin are helping close that gap through real-time microbial monitoring.As capacity doubles and reuse expands into water-stressed regions, the sector is confronting a new reality: confidence is becoming as critical as treatment itself.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

May 6, 20269 min

Horry County and the PFAS endgame: landfill, incineration or SCWO?

A proposed landfill expansion in Horry County, South Carolina, has reignited a familiar question: what actually happens to PFAS once it’s disposed of?In this episode, Dr. Bilal Asif uses this case to explore the broader shift from landfill to destruction. Incineration is emerging as the default pathway, with players like Veolia and Clean Harbors reporting removal rates of up to 99.99%—but questions remain around emissions and completeness.That uncertainty is driving renewed interest in alternatives such as supercritical water oxidation, with players including 374Water, Aquarden, and Revive Environmental entering the space.The signal is clear: the sector is moving toward total PFAS destruction, but the real challenge is proving that destruction is complete, and doing so at scale.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

April 29, 20266 min

Phosphorus recovery: why Kemira walked away and Haskoning stepped in

A few years ago, phosphorus recovery looked like a growing opportunity. Today, the momentum feels quieter. In this episode, Martino Finotelli unpacks Haskoning's acquisition of the ViviMag technology from Kemira, and what it signals for the future of resource recovery.While ViviMag enables recovery of vivianite from sludge, the bigger story is the shift in market drivers. Regulatory focus has moved away from phosphorus recovery toward energy efficiency and micropollutants, weakening the pull for technologies that rely on secondary value streams.Kemira’s exit reflects that reality. Haskoning may be better positioned to integrate and deploy such solutions — but even then, success depends on whether the market conditions return.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

April 24, 2026Episode 421 min

Special: BlueTech Forum Ignite x Nike

Water is entering a phase where proven innovation is aligning with credible pathways to scale. How do technologies that have demonstrated success finally translate into repeatable, system-wide adoption? The shift is from isolated lighthouse projects to coordinated execution: commercial models are strengthening, cross-sector demand is accelerating, and operational urgency is driving alignment. What once appeared fragmented is beginning to take shape, as industries converge around shared constraints and start reshaping incentives, risk allocation, and institutional readiness to unlock deployment at scale.This transition comes to life June 1–2 at Nike World Headquarters, as Divya and Rhys frame BlueTech Forum’s move toward tipping points alongside Zoe Hassall and Lily Chen. With Nike as host and sponsors Xylem, Veralto, Nijhuis Water Industries, XPV Water Partners, AquaTech and H2O Innovation, the event turns case studies into working sessions. More at bluetechforum.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

April 22, 202610 min

From Nobel prize to deployment: can MOFs bridge science and scale in water?

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are moving back into focus. In this episode, Research Analyst Bilal Asif explores why renewed attention on Prof. Omar Yaghi points to something bigger: the emergence of MOFs as a platform technology with applications spanning PFAS removal, carbon capture, and atmospheric water harvesting.That bridge from science to application is already taking shape. Atoco, founded by Yaghi, is applying MOFs to atmospheric water capture, while a broader ecosystem (including EnergyX, Tetramer, Framergy, BASF, and Numat), is advancing use cases across water, remediation, and industrial gas markets.The question is whether it can scale. As Bilal notes, the water sector has seen this before—strong science does not guarantee adoption. The real signal lies in whether MOFs can bridge the gap from breakthrough to deployment.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, you can learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

April 15, 20266 min

Rethinking reverse osmosis: a new operating model?

Reverse osmosis is one of the most established processes in water treatment. But what if its fundamentals are being rethought? Research Director Rhys Owen examines Salinity Solutions’ selection into the Xylem Innovation Labs Accelerator, and why its batch-based RO approach—reducing energy use and waste while increasing recovery—signals a potential shift in how core treatment processes are designed and scaled.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, you can learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world

April 8, 20265 min

Veolia’s PFAS play in Australia

PFAS in Australia is moving beyond site cleanup into a broader, compliance-driven market. In this episode, Dr Rafael Borobio explains why Veolia’s AUD 220M acquisition of EnviroPacific signals a shift toward integrated, end-to-end PFAS platforms—and what that means for competition and market structure.This Analyst Spotlight is part of BlueTech's Weekly Analyst Insights membership.If you’d like to receive these signals from the water technology market each week, you can learn more about on bluetechresearch.com.--Presented by BlueTech Research®, Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence. Watch the trailer of Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey. Get involved, and learn more on the website: braveblue.world