Connecting minds for a sustainable future

In the Netherlands, companies, knowledge institutions and government organisations work together closely to create new technologies and innovations.

Uniting Water, Energy and Food

Water, energy and food can be connected in smart ways to create innovative solutions to global issues like water scarcity, the energy transition and food security.


Water, energy and food are strongly interconnected. An action in one sector often also has an effect on at least one of the other two sectors. As a result, challenges in the water, energy and food sectors are best tackled with the other sectors in mind. Food cannot be produced without water and energy. A country striving to increase its food self-sufficiency needs sufficient fresh water to achieve this. This can be a challenge in countries where fresh water is not abundant. Desalination, for example, is energy intensive, relying heavily on fossil fuels. We need to develop innovative solutions for these challenges, and this starts with a connection between the three sectors.

Sustainable Development Goals

With its focus on providing people with basic needs, such as food, clean water and energy, the water-energy-food nexus touches on some of the most important UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During Expo 2020 Dubai the Netherlands showcased technologies and innovations within these themes.

We proved how working together can contribute to achieving the SDGs. In our relatively small but advanced country, government organisations, companies and knowledge institutions work together closely. This ‘triple helix’ model enables researchers and entrepreneurs to join forces within and outside their own sectors.