German Water Partnership

What German Water Partnership does

German Water Partnership (GWP), founded in 2008 and headquartered in Berlin, is a non-profit membership association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) that represents the internationally-oriented German water industry. GWP aggregates approximately 300 member organisations, including manufacturers, plant and component builders, engineering consultancies, utilities, chemical companies, research institutes and financing agencies, providing them with international market access through nine regional sections (Africa, East Asia, EECCA, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, North America, South & Southeast Asia) and six thematic working groups (Agricultural Irrigation & Reuse, Digital Water / Water 4.0, Hydrogen, Industrial Water Management, Operation & Capacity Development, Urban Water Resilience). It operates in more than 100 countries and runs over 50 annual meetings, including the flagship BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues and GWP-Days.

GWP's offering is a coordination and network platform, not a productised technology stack. It publishes the Index of Members, regional Competency Maps and the Industrial Water Compendium; delivers international market development activities under the BMWK-funded Market Development Programme (MEP) covering markets such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Vietnam; coordinates joint booth presence at trade fairs such as IFAT Munich, IFAT India and IFAT Saudi Arabia; and runs bilateral capacity-building projects (GAPWAS with the African Water Association, AGTIWAS / AWASA, WASANet, Sustainable Utility Partnerships with GIZ, and a DBU-funded Ukraine initiative with the Mykolaiv Water Hub).

The business model is membership-fee based, supplemented by project grants channelled through German federal ministries (BMWK, BMUV, BMZ) and implementing partners (GIZ, Sequa GmbH). Headcount is reported in the 1-10 range, which is consistent with a lean secretariat relying on members, working group chairs and ministry-funded programme staff rather than a large internal operating organisation.

Name

German Water Partnership

Legal name

German Water Partnership e.V.

Website

https://germanwaterpartnership.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

German Water Partnership (GWP) is a Berlin-based non-profit membership association founded in 2008 that connects approximately 300 German water sector companies with international markets through nine regional sections, six thematic working groups and federally-funded market development programmes across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Industry Association / Sector Network

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• Water sector network
• Water technology association
• International market development
• Industrial water management
• Water industry partnership

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: GWP operates as a membership-based association (e.V.) with fees collected from approximately 300 member organizations from various sectors of the German water industry including manufacturers, engineering companies, utilities, consultants, and research institutions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

German Water Partnership e.V. (GWP) is a non-profit membership association that connects approximately 300 German water-sector companies, research institutes, and utilities with international markets. Its core offering is a coordination and networking platform delivering international market access through trade fair representation, regional forums, thematic working groups (Agricultural Irrigation, Digital Water/Water 4.0, Hydrogen, Industrial Water Management, Operation and Capacity Development, Urban Water Resilience), the BMUV Export Initiative, and the BMWK Market Development Programme, plus publications such as the Industrial Water Compendium, regional Competency Maps, and the Index of Members.

Product overview

German Water Partnership (GWP) is a network/association platform rather than a single software product. It operates as a membership-based network connecting approximately 300 German water sector companies and organizations. The core offering consists of the GWP Network Platform with member profiles and the Index of Members; the BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues annual conference; six thematic Working Groups (Agricultural Irrigation, Digital Water/Water 4.0, Hydrogen, Industrial Water Management, Operation and Capacity Development, Urban Water Resilience); and various international market development services. GWP also produces publications including the Industrial Water Compendium and Competency Maps for different regions. The network facilitates partnerships through programs like GAPWAS (German-African Partnership), WASANet, and AGTIWAS (African-German Training Initiative), plus trade fair participation and sustainable utility partnerships developed with GIZ.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues: Annual international conference format and political forum for the water industry in Germany, bringing together participants from governments, NGOs, research, science, and international water consumers from industry, energy, and agriculture.
• GWP-Days
• GAPWAS
• WASANet
• AWASA

Products and services

• GWP Network Platform / Index of Members Directory Online membership platform and searchable directory enabling German water-sector suppliers and international buyers to identify relevant partners across the full water value chain (utilities, plant manufacturers, engineering consultancies, component manufacturers, research institutes, chemical and construction companies).
• BLUE PLANET Berlin Water Dialogues Annual flagship political forum for the water industry held in Berlin, convening international governments, NGOs, research bodies, and industry leaders to discuss water policy and international cooperation.
• GWP Thematic Working Groups Six member-led working groups that develop thematic content, organize activities, and represent GWP in technical areas including agricultural irrigation, digital water, hydrogen, industrial water management, capacity development, and urban water resilience.
• Industrial Water Compendium Publication guide for industrial wastewater decision-makers in MENA and India that maps German supplier capabilities and supports technology/solution sourcing.
• Competency Maps Regional company-competency catalogues that summarize GWP member capabilities by geography to help international buyers and partners identify suitable German water-sector suppliers.
• International Market Development Programme (MEP) Federal-government-funded program of trade fairs, business trips, and show events in target markets that helps German water-sector members enter or expand in markets such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Vietnam.
• Trade Fair Services Coordinated joint booth participation and program presence at international water-sector trade fairs on behalf of GWP members.
• Sustainable Utility Partnerships Structured partnership program that pairs German utility operators with operators in developing and emerging countries for knowledge exchange and capacity development, delivered with GIZ.
• Export Initiative Environmental Technologies (BMUV) Service supporting German water companies' export activities as part of the BMUV Export Initiative Environmental Technologies.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWP has a long-standing cooperation with GIZ dating back to 2009, when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding for knowledge management collaboration. GIZ implements the Export Initiative for Environmental Technologies on behalf of BMU/BMUV, and GWP supports these activities. They also cooperate closely on operator partnerships and development projects.
• African Water Association (AfWA/AfWASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWP has an active partnership with the African Water Association (AfWA) through the GAPWAS (German-African Partnership for Water and Sanitation) project, funded by BMZ via Sequa GmbH. The project completed its first phase in Abidjan in 2025. GWP also collaborates on AGTIWAS (African-German Training Initiative for Water and Sanitation) and AWASA (African Water and Sanitation Academy).
• Mykolaiv Water Hub (MWH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWP and Mykolaiv Water Hub in Ukraine are implementing a joint project funded by DBU (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt) to strengthen a resilient and sustainable water future in Ukraine through knowledge and technology transfer in water and wastewater management.
• DIHK Service GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWP strengthened cooperation with DIHK Service GmbH based on the Chambers for GreenTech project, signing a cooperation agreement to enhance collaboration for export of green environmental technologies.
• German RETech PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGWP and German RETech Partnership jointly presented seven new country profiles in 2018, combining water and recycling technologies expertise for international market development.
• DECHEMA and ProcessNetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGWP and DECHEMA have a mutual membership and work together particularly through the GWP Working Group Industrial Water Management and ProcessNet's Industrial Water Specialist Group, having realized numerous joint activities.
• Sequa GmbH / gGmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBMZ funds projects including GAPWAS and AWASA through Sequa GmbH and sequa gGmbH, with GWP implementing these projects as part of development cooperation initiatives.
• Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMWK funds the Market Development Programme (MEP) which GWP implements, providing international market development activities for German water sector companies in target markets.
• Federal Ministry for Environment (BMUV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMUV supports the Export Initiative Environmental Technologies, which GWP has supported from the beginning and has successfully implemented many projects under. Also funds the Industrial Water Compendium through GIZ.
• Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMZ funds the Chamber and Association Partnership Programme, supporting the GAPWAS project and AWASA (African Water and Sanitation Academy) project through Sequa, with GWP as implementing partner.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Water Alliance: Water Alliance is a Dutch water-technology cluster that supports networking, innovation, and business development for water companies. It overlaps with GWP’s member-network and market-development role, though it is centered on the Netherlands water-tech ecosystem.
• Danish Water Forum: Danish Water Forum is a network for Danish water-sector companies, utilities, research institutions, and public bodies focused on international water collaboration. It is comparable to GWP as a national association platform that connects domestic water expertise with global opportunities.
• British Water: British Water is a UK water-sector trade association representing the supply chain and supporting networking, events, and market engagement. It is comparable because it convenes water companies and helps suppliers access sector opportunities, albeit in the UK market.
• Netherlands Water Partnership: Netherlands Water Partnership is a Dutch water-sector network that promotes international collaboration and market access for Dutch water expertise. It is highly comparable because GWP similarly acts as a national water-industry gateway for international buyers and partners.

Broad incumbents

• Global Water Partnership: Global Water Partnership is an international network focused on integrated water resources management and water governance. It is comparable to GWP in water-sector convening and international development orientation, though it is policy/governance-led rather than a German supplier-network platform.
• Water Environment Federation: Water Environment Federation is a large water-quality association offering events, education, publications, and professional networking. It is comparable as a water-sector membership and convening organization, although its center of gravity is the North American water-quality community.
• International Water Association: International Water Association is a global membership organization for water professionals, utilities, researchers, and companies. It is comparable through conferences, knowledge exchange, and global water-sector networking, but is broader and less focused on one country’s export promotion.
• Water Europe: Water Europe is a European water-sector platform focused on innovation, collaboration, and market uptake across the water value chain. It is broader than GWP geographically and thematically, but comparable as a convening body for water-sector stakeholders.
• DWA German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste: DWA is a major German technical and professional association for water, wastewater, and waste topics. It overlaps with GWP in serving German water-sector stakeholders, though DWA is more domestic and technical while GWP is more internationally market-development oriented.

Emerging players

• Smart Water Networks Forum: Smart Water Networks Forum is a global forum focused on smart and digital water solutions. It is comparable to GWP’s Digital Water/Water 4.0 theme, but is narrower and more technology-specific than GWP’s full water-sector network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/germanwaterpartnership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/german-water-partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about German Water Partnership