The global water crisis is a significant challenge, impacting 2 billion people without access to safe drinking water and 3.6 billion without adequate sanitation. Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology, which extracts moisture from the air to provide clean water, is a promising solution. However, its adoption in humanitarian contexts is limited due to economic constraints and a lack of technical expertise.
The AQUA project aims to create a set of guidelines for Aquaseek to enter the humanitarian water market.
The do so, over 40 interviews with experts, NGOs, and end-users were conducted and in-depth secondary research was perfomed.
Three potential sustainable business models were identified: B2N (NGO as the customer), B2G (Government as the customer), and B2E (Energy provider as the customer). B2N was deemed optimal due to the trust-building potential of NGOs within local communities.
In addition, an 8-stage project cycle for deploying AWG solutions in humanitarian contexts was designed, encompassing a thorough explanatory procedure from the project start-up to the deployment of the machine.
To bring these solutions to the market, Aquaseek must improve its technical product, establish credibility through partnerships with NGOs, engage in marketing initiatives, and participate in trade fairs.
The relevance of the project is twofold: first, thanks to the implementation of the proposed guidelines, Aquaseek can attempt to enter the humanitarian market, extending its current business opportunities; second, the solution could guarantee access to clean and affordable water to some end-users that still suffer from water scarcity.