
YWP Denmark Award
YWP Denmark Award
YWPDK and Danish Water Forum (DWF) united forces in 2022 to create a new award specifically aimed at young water professionals in Denmark.
This year, we are again looking forward to acknowledging three outstanding YWPs for their impact in the water sector. The first prize will consist of 500€, followed by a second prize of 300€ and a third one of 200€. All these prizes are sponsored by DWF.
What are the selection criteria?
The YWP Denmark Award is granted to a young water professional who has contributed to the Danish water sector, and who has the ability to play an influential role in the water industry in the future.
The jury will make the decision on the award based on the following criteria:
- Vision: The individual has set ambitious goals for the water sector – 33%
- Initiative: The individual has taken initiative and responsibility to develop new ideas and/or opening new possibilities and opportunities – 33%
- Impact to water sector: The individual has made an impact with his/her work to influence the water sector – 33%
The award judges may, at their discretion, request supporting information to verify or better substantiate any nomination.
The 2025 winners are…
The first prize for the YWPDK Award 2025 goes to Jonas Wied Pedersen from DMI.
Jonas is an environmental engineer with a PhD from DTU Sustain specializing in hydrological modeling, numerical weather prediction, and flood forecasting. Currently, he is an Industrial Postdoc at Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut, where he focuses on using weather data for hydrological applications. He has been instrumental in setting up Denmark’s national flood forecasting system and has led several research collaborations on extreme weather and climate resilience. 🌧️🌊
“I’m truly honored to receive the YWPDK Award. Thank you to YWPDK and the Danish Water Forum for this meaningful initiative, and to my amazing colleagues at DMI for the nomination. Working at the interface between weather and water is both fun and deeply rewarding – especially with such a great group of people.”
The second prize for the YWPDK Award 2025 goes to Sebastian Ravn-Andersen from NIRAS.
Sebastian is a chemical engineer and consultant at NIRAS, with a strong focus on water reuse and treatment technologies. He has been spearheading the development of innovative solutions for the management of reject water from large scale Power-to-X (PtX) processes and is a key technical contributor to the current Danish PtX framework. In addition, he provides expert advice to major industrial clients within the Food & Bev, Pharma and green transition areas internationally.💧⚡🌍
”The recognition means a great deal. The water sector is entering a transformative era, with water scarcity and sustainability demanding innovative solutions. This award strengthens motivation to contribute and support the green transition through smart water technologies. It’s inspiring to see such enthusiasm driving rapid change. We need young talents more than ever to help shape a sustainable future. Let’s keep pushing forward—together.”
The third prize for the YWPDK Award 2025 goes to Carmelo Morgante from Aalborg University.
Carmelo is a chemical process engineer with a PhD from the University of Palermo (2024), specializing in desalination brine valorization through MLD approaches. He contributed to EU projects (Zero Brine, Water Mining) and supported the construction of a demo plant in Lampedusa. In 2023, he received the Miriam Balaban Innovation Award for membrane research and holds a patent with ACWA Power. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher at Aalborg University, focusing on membrane technologies for ultrapure water and water softening. 💧🔬
“I am deeply honored to receive this award, acknowledging the hard work and dedication I have put into my passion that is desalination. Winning such award has now led me to want to bring more to the Danish water sector and I truly believe that this initiative can for sure inspire and encourage more young talents to contribute to the water sector with even greater enthusiasm.”
Keep an eye out for the next nomination period for YWP DK Awards 2026. The nomination period opens usually early in the year.