IBM And Amsterdam Rai Co-operate At Aquaterra 2009 Conference

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IBM and Amsterdam RAI have agreed to co-operate for the upcoming Aquaterra 2009 conference, the Second World Forum on Delta and Coastal Development, to be held next month. IBM has signed on as sponsor and will be prominently represented during the three-day event. The co-operation is important to Amsterdam RAI as IBM is a globally operating ICT company with water management as one of its spearheads. IBM expects that the sponsorship agreement will draw the attention of the industry to the solutions IT can offer in innovating water management.

The agreement has more to offer in addition to IBM's participation in Aquaterra 2009, which will be held from February 10-12 February 2009. According to product manager Xander de Bruine of Amsterdam RAI, the co-operation is also intended to strengthen each other's products. "IBM will contribute to Aquaterra with specific knowledge about ICT applications in solving complex delta and coastal area issues." Kees Donker, Innovation & Technology Executive at IBM BeNeLux adds: "At the same time, Aquaterra provides us with a platform to present ICT applications for the water industry to a global audience." As part of the cooperation, IBM and Amsterdam RAI have made agreements on mutual knowledge exchange.

Aquaterra 2009 statement
"Aquaterra is more than just a conference where attendants passively consume lectures from keynote speakers, " continues De Bruine. "Our aim is to enhance knowledge about solutions for complex issues in delta and coastal areas. Leading experts will open the conference with an introduction on the world's largest river deltas, including the Mississippi River Delta, Yellow River Delta, Mekong River Delta, Ganges Brahmaputra Delta and the Dutch coastal and river deltas.

Specialists will then discuss current approaches and innovations in these areas with conference visitors, including issues such as extension and revitalisation of infrastructure, development and adaptation of land and water use, the management and restoration of natural systems and governance of delta management. All conclusions will be compounded on the final conference day in the Aquaterra '09 statement."

IBM has selected water management as one of its spearheads. In 2006, the ICT company decided to invest 100 million dollars in ten new spheres of activity. In response to increasing concerns with regards to climate change and the possible consequences for low-lying coastal areas, IBM decided to work on developing water systems as one of these ten. IBM's expertise in intelligent technology is being combined with innovative approaches such as integration of complex information systems, high performance computing and serious gaming as learning tool, to secure business continuity in emergency situations.

"The impact of climate change relates to many features of IBM, in particular in deltaic regions worldwide. Insurance companies, the oil- and gas industry, government bodies and the transport business all ask themselves how to tackle these consequences of climate change, " says Donker. The company recently established a Global Centre of Excellence for Watermanagement in Amsterdam to coordinate activities worldwide.

The IBM Global Centre of Excellence for Watermanagement will significantly contribute to Aquaterra 2009. The centre is already closely involved with the Dutch Flood Control 2015 project for electronic dyke protection and monitoring. IBM is also developing an observation system for the New York Hudson River and the Galway Bay in Ireland. The Centre cooperates as well with The Nature Conservancy in developing a computer model for simulating river basins and to develop a method for sustainable use of the Parana river in Brasil.

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