2021 may go down in history as the year of the Great Awakening. Relentless disease, floods, fires, droughts, food insecurity, dramatic social and political unrest signal that deep structural changes in how our world works are underway. But amid the seemingly pervasive doom and gloom, the good news is that there are intensifying efforts to put people, countries and, indeed, humanity on a better path.

One of the most promising antidotes to what ails us is the enormous surge of scientific discovery and technological innovation that is also a hallmark of our age. Can we really innovate our way out of the mess? Are we smart enough to translate fantastic discoveries into tangible benefits for people? And, can we do so faster than pathogens mutate or accumulated emissions change weather or draughts destroy arable crop land?

Of course, no one knows for sure, but this week’s guest on the New Thinking for a New World podcast is working hard on answers, one challenge at a time. Livio Valenti sits exactly at the intersection of cutting-edge science and the demand for innovative solutions in healthcare, biotech, and material sciences. Listen as he discusses why he thinks we can do this.