Skewb at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2026: Pushing the Frontiers of What’s Possible
Skewb is proud to be a gold sponsor of the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition 2026 in Glasgow, the most influential forum for global water. Alongside sponsorship, Skewb will also lead with sector partners, the Operations Challenge, which is a centre piece of the exhibition hall, reinforcing our commitment to digital innovation, operational excellence and global collaboration.
For Skewb, involvement in IWA – taking place from 4–8 October 2026 – represents far more than presence at a major international event. It reflects a long-term commitment to being an active contributor to the future of water and wastewater.
As Skewb Co-founder and CEO Shashi Seshadri explains, the decision to engage with IWA was made well ahead of the congress itself: “While the relationships are being strengthened now, the intent was established months ago – rooted in a long-term commitment to engage deeply with the sector and help shape what comes next.”
That intent reflects Skewb’s broader ambition as it looks ahead to 2026 and 2027 – to deepen its role within the water and wastewater sector, not from the sidelines, but as an active participant shaping solutions.
Skewb’s approach is grounded in close collaboration with industry, regulators and operators, with a clear focus on moving beyond observation and into action.
“We don’t sit on the fringes,” Shashi says. “We are part of the industry, so we need to be part of the solution – pushing the boundaries of the art of the possible.”
The International Water Congress provides a powerful platform to do that. With its global reach, cross‑sector dialogue and focus on both innovation and delivery, the event enables meaningful conversations about the challenges facing water systems today -and the opportunities to rethink how they are addressed.
Leading the Operations Challenge
A central part of Skewb’s presence at IWA Glasgow will be its leadership of the Operations Challenge – a collaborative initiative designed to reflect the realities of high‑pressure operational environments.
The challenge will take the form of a live, interactive Control Room simulation, where teams respond to a realistic environmental emergency affecting both clean and wastewater networks. Participants will work with digital tools, live data and performance metrics to test decisions in real time, mirroring the pressures faced by operational teams on the ground. Open to all experience levels, the challenge is designed to be collaborative, competitive and firmly future‑focused.
In the lead‑up to the congress, Skewb has been hosting Operations Challenge workshops, bringing together voices from across the water sector to help shape the experience. Contributions from organisations including Welsh Water, Southwest Water, Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water and Affinity Water have provided valuable insight, with perspectives from control room and operational performance leaders informing the scenario design.
By convening professionals from across the sector to tackle live operational scenarios, the Operations Challenge encourages shared learning, fresh thinking and practical problem‑solving. Grounded in operational reality rather than theory, it demonstrates how data, digital capability and operational expertise can be combined to deliver better outcomes for customers and communities.
Through leading the Operations Challenge, Skewb is creating a space where operational insight meets innovation – supporting ideas that can be taken back into everyday operations long after the congress ends.
Exporting Knowledge, Sharing Maturity
A recurring theme in Skewb’s ambition is the importance of looking beyond national boundaries. In an era where global trade and collaboration are increasingly important, Shashi believes the UK water sector has much to offer internationally.
“We have the ability to export regulatory knowledge, regulatory maturity and highly specific digital solutions – not just within the UK, but beyond our borders.”
With a strong regulatory framework and a mature, deregulated ecosystem, the UK water sector provides fertile ground for developing solutions that can be applied elsewhere. By solving problems that are locally relevant – within a robust regulatory environment – organisations like Skewb can offer proven, transferable approaches to governments and partners worldwide.
This international exchange of knowledge and capability is not only about innovation; it also supports resilience, stronger trade relationships and long‑term value creation for the sector.
Seeing Opportunity in Adversity
At the heart of Skewb’s involvement in IWA Glasgow is a belief that challenge should be viewed as opportunity.
“Adversity is not a constraint,” Shashi reflects. “It’s an opportunity to push boundaries.”
The International Water Congress offers the right environment to challenge assumptions, test thinking and explore new possibilities alongside peers from across the globe. For Skewb, it represents a chance to contribute, collaborate and help shape the future direction of water and wastewater operations – in the UK and internationally.
As the industry gathers in Glasgow, Skewb looks forward to the conversations, the challenge and the opportunity to push frontiers together.
