ACWA Power, the world’s largest private water desalination company, a leader in the energy transition, and a pioneer in green hydrogen, has announced the fourth edition of Innovation Days, scheduled to take place from 26–28 January 2026 at The Garage in Riyadh. The event will be held under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Organized in strategic collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and The Garage, Innovation Days 2026 will bring together senior government officials, industry leaders, innovators, researchers, and academics from Saudi Arabia and around the world. The three-day program serves as a flagship innovation platform aimed at accelerating the deployment of next-generation energy, water, and digital technologies, fostering high-impact partnerships, and supporting the Kingdom’s ambition to rank among the top 10 countries in the Global Innovation Index.
Marco Arcelli, Chief Executive Officer of ACWA Power, said, “Innovation Days has rapidly evolved into a high-impact platform where real technologies, real partners, and real projects come together. It is not a theoretical conference—it is a space where we stress-test ideas, scale breakthrough solutions, and connect innovators with the full industrial and policy ecosystem needed to move from pilots to viable, deployable, and scalable solutions. For ACWA Power, innovation is not a separate function; it is the way we design, mobilize investments, and operate assets that deliver competitive, lower-carbon energy and water across all our markets.”
The 2026 edition, themed “Innovate for Impact,” will focus on solution-driven innovation that produces measurable economic, environmental, and system benefits. The agenda will showcase applied research outcomes, full-scale demonstrations, and co-developed technologies in areas including renewables, green hydrogen, advanced desalination, energy storage, system integration, and digital optimization.
Over three days, the program at The Garage will feature high-level keynote sessions, technical deep dives, live technology demonstrations, and curated matchmaking sessions designed for various stakeholder groups. Dedicated tracks will address strategic challenges such as enhancing the competitiveness of green hydrogen, reducing the environmental footprint of desalination while lowering costs, expanding energy storage capabilities, and leveraging AI and digital solutions to optimize complex power and water systems. Participants will also explore new models for technology localization, joint intellectual property development, and industrial supply chain growth within the Kingdom.
Innovation Days will bring together a diverse range of stakeholders. Universities and research institutes contribute research expertise and STEM talent while developing applied use cases and joint intellectual property aligned with national priorities. Government stakeholders provide policy guidance, Vision 2030 alignment, and institutional support, while funding and investment authorities offer capital and innovation programs, creating opportunities for targeted deployment and strategic partnerships.
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