SuSanA Partners

Despite the increasing demand, the water sector is facing today a lack of innovative small- and middle-scale businesses that offer products in the field of sustainable sanitation and water management services. cewas is the institutional answer to this situation. Organised in four business domains (Start-Up Centre, Think-Tank, Training Centre, Business Platform), it aims at strengthening the implementation skills in the sector on an international level in a unique training programme combining advanced education and coaching. The international Start-Up teams will be able to offer solutions based on a good knowledge of regional markets and conditions but also a wider range of contacts to research and development in the North and the South. Each Start-Up is coached by one or several members from the Think-Tank, a core group of international high-level experts from the sector, which bring in their network, expertise and the current state-of-the-art knowledge. The coaches also ensure the strategic and practical orientation of the Start-Ups. The training programme provides the Start-Ups not only with the advanced knowhow for business development and management, but also the advanced knowledge on technical aspects of sustainable sanitation and water management (SSWM), the required practical experiences, support for extending their network, links to research and technology development, as well as first contacts with investors.

Eawag is a world-leading aquatic research institute. Its research, which is driven by the needs of society, provides the basis for innovative approaches and technologies in the water sector. Through close collaboration with experts from industry, government and professional associations, Eawag plays an important bridging role between theory and practice, allowing new scientific insights to be rapidly implemented.

Ecopsis is a consulting firm specialising in wastewater management. Their areas of intervention cover in particular decentralised sanitation: on-site domestic wastewater treatment and pretreatment of industrial wastewater. Ecopsis offers its services at both national and international levels.

THE IEES provides a common forum for diverse persons and groups involved in ecological engineering projects. These include traditional engineers, marine biologists, ecological economists, development workers, and many others. The IEES is a non-profit organisation which seeks to promote contacts between scientists and eco-engineers from different countries and coordinate their activities, improve the cooperation between ecologists and engineers, exchange information in the field of ecological engineering among scientific and educational organisations, private enterprises, non-governmental organisations and governmental bodies.

The International Rainwater Harvesting Alliance (IRHA) was created in Geneva in November 2002 following recomendations formulated during the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg two months earlier. The mandate called for federation and unification of the disparate rainwater harvesting (RWH) movement around the world. In partnership with the most eminent organisations and individuals in the field, the IRHA provides a lobbying and advocacy platform for RWH. It supports the growth of RWH solutions to water supply problems.

Seecon develops, manages and participates in innovative projects in Switzerland, Europe, as well as in various countries in Asia and Africa. Together with their clients and partners, they develop focused and effective solutions under a process-oriented framework and following a learning-oriented approach. Their customers are national, provincial and regional government bodies, private companies, businesses, NGOs, non-profit organisations as well as educational institutions and research centres.

Skat is an independent Swiss organisation working in the fields of development and humanitarian aid. Since 1978, Skat has provided technical expertise, management support, and training to bilateral and multilateral development agencies, and non-governmental organisations.

Since its creation in 1960, the mission of Terre des hommes (Tdh) has been to come to the aid of children in need. It endeavours at all times to defend the rights of children, in times of war and natural disasters, or in less publicised situations of distress. Today, the Terre des hommes Foundation is a significant force among children’s aid organisations in Switzerland and throughout the world. It is the largest non-governmental organisation (NGO) for children’s aid in Switzerland. Tdh has development projects and emergency relief programmes in more than 30 countries. This engagement is financed by individual and institutional donations, of which 85% flows directly into the Tdh programmes.