Since 1997, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, held annually under the patronage of the Princess of Sweden and aimed at high school students between the ages of 15 and 20, has been represented in our country under the leadership of our General Directorate since 2007.
Xylem, a U.S.-based water technology company operating in the field of water and wastewater management and a sponsor of the aforementioned competition, is organizing the 2026 Xylem Global Student Innovation Challenge for high school and university students aged 13–25 to support young people’s innovative work in the field of water.
The competition will be conducted online over a period of eight weeks. Its objective is to support students in developing innovative solutions to global water challenges, increasing their knowledge and awareness of the water sector, and strengthening their creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership skills. As part of the competition, students will have the opportunity to collaborate with peers from different countries and receive mentoring and coaching from experts in the field of water.
The competition focuses on developing solutions in three main areas: Water Quantity, Water Quality, and Water Access. Participants will work individually or in teams to develop innovative solutions to identified water-related challenges.
The competition is open to students from all academic disciplines, with participation from students studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and other engineering fields being particularly encouraged. Students may participate individually or in teams of up to five members.
Registration for the competition began in September 2026, and the global launch event is scheduled to take place on September 28, 2026. The deadline for submitting the project and final presentation video is November 20, 2026. The winners are expected to be announced on December 18, 2026. A total of US$20,000 in prizes will be awarded as part of the competition.
Detailed information about the competition is available on its official website:
https://xyleminnovationchallenge.bemyapp.com/
For more information, please click here.