From the morning shower to freshly washed clothes and the coffee machine - not only our morning routine, but our entire everyday life would be unthinkable without running water. But how does the wet element get into our taps and what happens as soon as it flows down the drain? Flow control devices are indispensable for the water supply.

Wind energy has been with us since the Middle Ages. Today, we use it not only to power windmills, but also to generate electricity. However, as the wind does not blow evenly on land, we cannot rely on this sustainable source of energy. Offshore wind turbines are an interesting alternative.

Renewable energy has seen strong growth in recent years. By the end of 2023, around 30% of the world's energy will come from renewable sources. The International Renewable Energy Agency predicts that by 2050, around 85% of the energy generated in power plants will come from renewable sources. As a result, interest in sustainability-oriented utilities is likely to increase.

It is hard to envision our daily lives without energy. From heating in winter and lighting in the dark to charging our smartphones, energy is a fundamental aspect of our lives. We rely on energy both personally and professionally, and demand is increasing. In addition to building new wind farms, there is also great potential in minimising energy losses. But how is energy generated, and where do energy losses occur?

Fresh water is essential to all forms of life on our planet. However, the valuable resource is becoming increasingly scarce as water consumption is rising in-line with global population growth. In addition, global warming is reducing freshwater supplies.

Ongoing industrialization and population growth are resulting in continuously increasing demand for natural resources. A large proportion of the goods we manufacture still wind up in landfill sites or incinerators after use. In product manufacturing, the closing of the material flow cycle is of central importance. Natural resources can be divided into renewables and non-renewables. From a sustainability perspective, the increased use of renewable resources should be favored

Emerging Markets have become increasingly important in terms of their contribution to global GDP as well as their market capita-lization. Longterm forecasts predict that by 2050, the combined GDP of the seven largest Emerging Markets (E7) will be twice as high as that of the G7 industrialized countries. The financial crisis has boosted this transformation process even further

Compared internationally the pacific region shows relatively good resistance to the crisis, but is also affected by the general uncertainty (primarily by the euro crisis) and by the weakening of the global economy. The individual countries though do not show the same picture.

Unlike fossil fuels, solar energy is infinitely available and the amount transmitted is equivalent to 5,000 times the world's energy consumption. Solar energy is available on a decentralized basis, consequently requiring less transfer capacity. The current decade will see photovoltaics achieve network parity (when production costs for solar power are the same as the cost of electricity from the grid). The share of solar technologies in the energy mix in year 2040is forecasted at up to 20% (a growth factor of 320).

Europe is challenged in several ways. Without political integration the euro is threatened to break apart, the aging of society sets the public finances under additional pressure, and globally competition is increasing from emerging economies. In Europe, however, many well-armed companies are located which can benefit from regional and global developments