5. Best Sustainable Water Management Solutions CEO 2026 (Nordics): Asle Johnsen These are the principles guiding Aiwell Water as it works towards its bright and interesting future, with new products and solutions set to be introduced to the market, all of which there is a need for and all of which will likely be in high demand once they launch. However, Asle and the team also know that things take time, so they are already building foundations in new markets. We are currently working in collaboration with Innovation Norway to create a startup in Yorkshire, England and Asle is confident that this cooperation will pay off. Touching on his own future plans, Asle commented: “I will hire new talented people to take over my functions in the company, so I will only work on furthering the development of solutions. Then we will establish a new board.” He also plans to carve out more time for developments within Aiwell Water’s ecosystem, continuing the company’s trend of rapid, high-capacity drainage to manage the likes of wastewater and storm overflow. In closing, Asle took the time to speak with us about patents, as well as the importance of business owners like himself protecting their inventions. He explained that patents, whilst providing very good protection, are very expensive. For this reason, he believes that the authorities encouraging research and development should reward those who create patents. It is not simply the cost, as the window between a patent passing and a company having to decide which markets to take it out in is rather small. Asle elaborated: “The patent is for many, especially start-ups and small companies, associated with great cost and very high risk. You do not know if the patent will function and become a product. If it becomes a product, you do not know if it is saleable and it can therefore take a very long time before the income is generated, but you have costs throughout this period.” The solution, Asle argues, is for patents to offer a monetary award. “If the patent could trigger a monetary award, it would be helpful in being more quickly able to develop the product and determine its saleability. This would be an enormous help for startups.” After all, the industry at present needs costeffective solutions, especially in older cities, where pipes are at the bottom of streets and there is a lot of new infrastructure above. Then there are other factors to consider, like tram tracks, which make excavation expensive and disruptive. Solutions like those being created by Aiwell Water are helping to ease these burdens, and a lot more in other such focus areas could follow if Asle’s idea around monetised patents is listened to by those at the top who really need to hear it. This award-winning CEO will continue to advocate for this, alongside growing Aiwell AS, Aiwell Property AS, and Aiwell Water AS into the leading companies in their respective areas. In the meantime, all that is left for us to do is to recognise Asle Johnsen as the Best Sustainable Water Management Solutions CEO 2026 (Nordics) as part of this instalment of the European CEO of the Year Awards. More on the work he carries out across his group of companies can be found through the links down below. Contact: Asle Johnsen Company: Aiwell Water AS (Aiwell Holding AS) Web Address: www.aiwellwater.com/ & https://aiwell.no/
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