Acwa, a leader in energy transition, has concluded Innovation Days 2026 at The Garage in Riyadh - a three-day platform that convened government entities, research institutions, global technology leaders, and investors - by announcing the signing of 27 strategic partnerships and the launch of Innovation Days in Shanghai.

Held under the patronage of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy, Innovation Days 2026 brought together leading stakeholders across energy, water, hydrogen, AI, and energy storage to celebrate open innovation, showcase results, exchange ideas, and translate collaboration into tangible impact.

The event was significantly oversubscribed, confirming its emergence as a must-attend global platform and reflecting the exceptional pull of Saudi Arabia's innovation ecosystem.

Marco Arcelli, CEO of Acwa, stated: "Innovation Days 2026 shows what can be achieved through forward-thinking leadership. Under Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is becoming a global testbed and scaling engine for integrated water-energy-hydrogen-AI solutions. As such, Innovation Days is a de-facto global leader shaping how technological breakthroughs reach industrial deployment. The 27 new partnerships signed highlight the Kingdom’s growing impact on energy, water security, and industrial decarbonistion. Acwa is dedicated to connecting Saudi ambition with global innovation, and our move into Shanghai marks an important step in taking Innovation Days international."

Reinforcing Innovation Days' scope as a capability-building platform beyond energy and water into disruptive AI applications for industrial operations, HUMAIN -  Saudi Arabia's emerging leader in advanced AI and human-machine intelligence - participated across multiple sessions focused on frontier digital technologies.

Conversations revolved around the Kingdom’s innovation culture and leadership mindset. T

he critical importance of pilot plants, testbeds, and innovation hubs, and the role of talent development and ecosystem scale-up.

Thomas Altmann, EVP Innovation and New Technology of Acwa, said: "Innovation Days has evolved from a meeting to a launching pad, connecting new technology with industry needs, which is why the 27 partnerships signed this week are moving forward with clear goals and resources. Beyond partnerships, Innovation Days is a capability-building platform—cultivating innovation leadership mindset, establishing pilot plants and testbeds, developing talent, and scaling ecosystems. At Acwa, innovation shapes our project design, financing, and asset operations for competitive performance in challenging markets. We now look forward to Shanghai and beyond as we take this incredible global platform."

The scientific depth of Innovation Days 2026 was anchored by participation from world-leading universities and research institutions.

MIT Sloan School of Management, Stanford, UCLA, Tsinghua University, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) joined alongside innovation hubs such as Greentown Labs and Cambridge Innovation Centre—providing the intellectual foundation for translating breakthrough research into commercial deployment.

Multi-stakeholder sessions at Innovation Days 2026 explored a multitude of pathways to a resilient, low-carbon energy system aligned with Vision 2030, including Saudi Arabia's target of 50% renewables by 2030, grid stability priorities, and the role of long-duration energy storage.

Leaders came from across the Kingdom and around the world, including major national institutions such as the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE), the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the host venue King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), and Aramco Ventures.

Global perspectives came from MIT Sloan School of Management, Boston Consulting Group, BloombergNEF, the Cambridge Innovation Centre, and China’s National Innovation Centre par Excellence, who examined how governance, cross-sector collaboration, and centres of excellence can align research with execution at industrial scale.

Innovation Days Shanghai: October 2026

The announcement of Innovation Days Shanghai in October 2026 reflects an important strategic expansion.

China leads the world in electrochemistry, AI, advanced manufacturing, and industrial scale-up: capabilities essential to accelerating deployment of the technologies showcased in Riyadh.

By deepening R&D and deployment collaboration with Chinese partners, Acwa can compress the timeline from pilot to commercial operation while accessing manufacturing ecosystems that deliver cost competitiveness at scale.

New partnerships that cut across the water and energy spectrum included:

GREEN HYDROGEN

Topsoe — The Danish catalysis leader will provide ammonia licensing technology for the Yanbu Green Hydrogen Project. Topsoe’s proven industrial expertise creates the technical foundation for a scalable, bankable facility that can serve as a blueprint for future megaprojects.

Baker Hughes (Nuovo Pignone International) — Acwa and Baker Hughes will collaborate on advanced green hydrogen technologies at the Yanbu Hydrogen Innovation Hub. The partnership enables joint research, technical activities, and expertise exchange across hydrogen compression and integrated energy systems.

Advanced Ionics — Acwa will evaluate Advanced Ionics’ medium-temperature electrochemical platform, which promises improved efficiency and lower capital costs compared to conventional electrolyzers. The technology could diversify Acwa’s electrolyzer portfolio for large-scale hydrogen projects.

AVL — The Austrian clean energy specialist will work with Acwa on solid oxide electrolyzer cells (SOEC) and co-electrolysis pathways. These technologies enable production of synthesis gas for sustainable aviation fuels, extending Acwa’s green hydrogen value chain.

Shanghai H-Ray S&T — Acwa will assess H-Ray’s new PEM electrolysis, which lowers precious metal use without sacrificing performance, bringing Chinese innovations to future hydrogen projects.

Power to Hydrogen (P2H2) — Acwa will trial P2H2’s hybrid AEM electrolysis for efficient, durable green hydrogen production, merging alkaline cost benefits with responsiveness for renewables.

SunGreenH2 — SunGreenH2’s precious-metal-free electrolyzers featuring nanostructured electrodes will be evaluated by Acwa. The technology has the potential to dramatically reduce electrolyzer costs while maintaining performance, making green hydrogen more economically viable at scale.

ATOM-X — Acwa and ATOM-X will collaborate on one-step electrocatalytic conversion of hydrogen and CO₂ into green fuels. This direct pathway bypasses conventional multi-step processes, expanding Acwa’s toolkit for integrated green molecule solutions.

Overview Energy — In a forward-looking partnership, Acwa will explore space-based solar energy for desalination, hydrogen production, and power generation. Acwa could become one of the world’s first commercial recipients of power beamed from orbiting solar collectors.

EnBW — German energy leader EnBW joins Acwa as co-developer and minority investor in the Yanbu green ammonia project targeting 2.5 million tonnes annually.

ITOCHU — Japanese trading house ITOCHU enters as co-developer, minority investor, and offtaker for Yanbu green ammonia, bringing J-ECA financing capability.

ADVANCED DESALINATION

Water Global Access (WGA) — WGA's Gravitational Vapor Compression Desalination technology will be advanced toward commercial deployment in this groundbreaking collaboration with Acwa. GVCD harnesses gravitational forces to drive vapor compression, dramatically reducing the energy and cost of producing fresh water.

NexT Membranes (UCLA) — NexT's compaction-free TFX reverse osmosis membranes, which unlike conventional membranes that degrade under sustained pressure, enable stable ultra-high-pressure operation, extracting more fresh water per pass. Acwa will work with NexT Membranes to pilot-test its new and unconventional approach.

Harmony Desalting (MIT) — Acwa will work to explore and test Harmony's Batch Reverse Osmosis systems, which operate membranes in cyclic pressure modes. This closed-loop approach achieves ultra-high recovery rates on challenging waters while minimising brine waste and energy use.

Huaxin Nano — Huaxin Nano's anti-fouling reverse osmosis membranes will be deployed by Acwa for its use in commercial desalination projects. Advanced surface treatments resist organic and inorganic deposits, extending membrane life and reducing the levelised cost of water.

Aleph Tech — Acwa and Aleph Tech will apply artificial intelligence to optimise energy consumption in large-scale desalination plants. Even marginal efficiency gains translate into significant cost savings and environmental benefits at Acwa's operational scale.

ENERGY STORAGE

Malta — Acwa will evaluate Malta's thermal energy storage technology, which stores electricity as heat and cold in molten salt and chilled liquid tanks. The system offers long-duration storage without degradation issues affecting batteries.

Electrified Thermal Solutions (ETS) — ETS's firebrick thermal storage technology will be explored by Acwa – an innovative technology that stores renewable energy as high-temperature heat. The stored energy can be dispatched as industrial process heat or converted back to electricity.

Noon Energy — Acwa will work to advance Noon Energy's multi-day storage technology using carbon-oxygen chemistry, which, unlike lithium-ion batteries that are limited to hours, stores energy for days. This provides the potential for critical grid stability as Acwa scales renewable generation.

INDUSTRIAL AI AND DIGITAL

Aramco Digital — Acwa and Saudi Aramco's digital subsidiary will explore AI, cloud, data analytics, and cybersecurity solutions across renewable and industrial operations. The partnership aims to make Acwa's energy and water systems more intelligent and resilient.

ThinkProject — A landmark 10-year partnership will digitalise end-to-end asset lifecycle management across Acwa's entire portfolio. ThinkProject's platforms enable integrated digital workflows and real-time visibility into asset performance from design through operations.

Tsinghua University — Acwa will collaborate with China's preeminent technical institution on renewable energy solutions, dynamic battery storage systems, AI and big data applications, and smart grid technologies—creating a platform for joint innovation.

GLOBAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

National Innovation Center par Excellence (NICE), China — Acwa and NICE have established a framework for R&D cooperation, talent development, and project incubation across renewables, desalination, storage, and hydrogen. NICE operates 80+ research institutes with 10,000 PhD researchers.

NEIAAP and CleanTech Business Club — Acwa, the New Energy Industry Association for Asia and the Pacific, and CleanTech Business Club will execute the Global StorageVersity Innovation Challenge and Global Clean Hydrogen Innovation Hackathon.

IRESEN and CleanTech Business Club — Acwa, Morocco's Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies, and CleanTech Business Club will unite global clean hydrogen ecosystems and deliver flagship innovation initiatives.

IRESEN Morocco — Acwa and IRESEN will explore innovation opportunities and connect the North African ecosystem to advance joint initiatives in renewable energy and green hydrogen. -TradeArabia News Service