From Signal to System: Human Health as a Decision Driver in Materials Innovation

28 Apr 2026
Main Stage
  • How has human health shifted from a peripheral concern to a signal shaping regulation, investment, and innovation agendas?
  • Where do health considerations concretely enter material decisions today, and where do they still struggle to influence specifications, capital allocation, and design?
  • How are emerging risk drivers - such as litigation, brand exposure, and portfolio resilience - reshaping material choices?
  • Why are upstream innovation and early-stage design critical leverage points, and what would it take to integrate human health as a forward-looking decision driver rather than a downstream compliance check?
Host
Henrique Silva Pacini Costa
Henrique Silva Pacini Costa, Economic Affairs Officer - UNCTAD
Speakers
Matt Saunders
Matt Saunders, Managing Partner - NEW EARTH VENTURES
Manuel Brunner
Manuel Brunner, Sustainable Materials Innovation & Investments Lead - MINDEROO FOUNDATION
Bryan Haynes
Bryan Haynes, Senior Technical Director - KIMBERLY-CLARK