Tuesday, October 28, 2025
A cross-border initiative aims to mobilize young innovators to tackle some of the most pressing water challenges facing the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region.
The Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP) has partnered with AquaAction and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative to co-host the 2026 AquaHacking Binational Challenge, a 10-month accelerator program connecting 1,000 students, entrepreneurs and researchers from Canada and the United States.
Announced during the GSGP Leadership Summit in Québec City, the program will focus on developing practical, market-ready technologies to strengthen water infrastructure, improve agricultural efficiency and support new circular economy ventures across the region.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence system sustains 110 million people and supports an economy worth more than US $9.3 trillion. Organizers say innovation will be key to ensuring the long-term health and competitiveness of these shared freshwater resources.
“”This is more than a program, it’s a powerful beacon of cross-border collaboration,” said Soula Chronopoulos, president of AquaAction. “Together, with GSGP and the Cities Initiative, we can build a future that’s resilient, inclusive and water-secure.”
Now in its tenth year, AquaAction’s programs have helped create more than 100 water-focused startups across North America, generating over CAD $200 million in revenue and more than 400 jobs. The 2026 edition will be the organization’s largest yet, offering mentorship, technical guidance, seed funding and access to industry partners.
“The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence are central to our economy and way of life,” said David Naftzger, executive director of the GSGP. “By partnering with AquaAction, we aim to give the next generation of innovators the opportunity to develop technologies that can create jobs, strengthen communities and support responsible economic growth across our region.”
The initiative is supported by several industry and philanthropic partners, including the de Gaspé Beaubien Foundation, Ovivo, RBC Foundation and Glencore.
“Innovation without borders is exactly what our freshwater demands,” said Jonathan Altenberg, president and CEO of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities initiative. “Together, we are building a pipeline from university labs to municipal deployment—ensuring that brilliant ideas don’t remain prototypes but become real tools that communities can implement.”
More information on the AquaHacking Binational 2026 Challenge is available at aquaaction.org.
