Innovators Summit 2026 Sessions
- Resource Type
- Presentation
- Publish Date
- 05/06/2026
- Author
- Innovation Research Interchange
- Topics
- Innovation, Enhance Sustainability, Artificial Intellegence, Transformation, Knowledge Transfer, R&D, Tools and Techniques
- Associated Event
- Innovators Summit 2026
Audio recordings and video of the panels will be available in podcast form shortly.
At Innovators Summit 2026, IRI brought together industry leaders to share practical strategies and forward-thinking insights that helped attendees prepare for the next wave of innovation. The event equipped participants with tools to navigate emerging challenges, drive sustainable growth, and strengthen their innovation pipelines.
May 6
CTO Forum
Opening Keynote: Forces Shaping the Next Era
Speaker: Florian Schattenmann, Chief Technology Officer and VP, Innovation and R&D, Cargill
Driving the Innovation Pipeline for Impact
Speaker: Drew Child, Vice President of R&D, Milliken & Company
Deep Dives
Getting the Right Mix of Projects – And Measuring It
Driving Innovation in R&D: Building a Future-Ready Foundation Through Collaborative Digital Transformation
Innovation Tools – Catalyzing Their Adoption
Innovating Inside and Outside the Core
Speaker: Sean Adam, Vice President, Corporate Strategy, AFL
Pam Henderson, CEO, NewEdge
May 7
Harnessing AI for Real World Impact
Speaker: Wen Jie Ong, Principal Product Manager – ALCHEMI, NVIDIA
Julie Edgar, CTO, Lubrizol
Moderator: Sean Ammirati, Founder, CEO of Growth Signals
Cross-functional Innovation: EMD’s Microphysiological Systems Project
Sakshi Garg, Lead – Innovation Strategy, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Deep Dives
AI in New Product Innovation: From Knowledge Chaos to Competitive Advantage
Accelerating Time to Value for AI in R&D
From Silos to Systems: Networked Innovation for Sustainable Innovation Success
Three Universal Principles and Five Dimensions of Differentiation When Implementing GenAI in Manufacturing R&D and Commercialization Processes
Next Gen Issue Exploration
Powering the Future: Energy Demand, Sustainability, and the Next Wave of Innovation
Innovation Teams of the Future: Defining the Skills for What’s Next
Powering Growth Through Open and Co-Innovation
Kei Morita, Vice President, New Technology & CVC, ENEOS Americas,
Preeta Datta, Director of R&D and Innovation, Americas, Evonik
Carol Bessel, Section Head, Translational Programs, Division of Translational Impacts, NSF
Moderator: Jeff Sanders, Global Portfolio Leader for CPG, Schrödinger
Interactive Session: Anticipating Innovation Challenges for the Future
Lee Green, Executive Director, IRI
Maurice Holland Award Winner Address: Integrating AI into the Front End of New Product Development
Tucker Marion, Chelsea Yuan, and Mohsen Moghaddam