Inclusive Innovation: Designing for Access, Not Elites | Milan Longevity Summit 2026

*Innovation only creates meaningful progress when people can actually access it.* From health and wellness to food, culture, technology, and everyday products and services, innovation is creating new possibilities for how we live. But breakthrough solutions can also deepen existing inequalities when they are designed primarily for those with the greatest resources, knowledge, or access. In this panel from the *Vitality Stage at the Milan Longevity Summit 2026*, *Anna Zò, David Bassani, Giuseppe Andreoni, and Asier Alea* join moderator *Catalina Valencia Zuluaga* to explore what it means to make inclusion a principle of innovation from the very beginning. Bringing together perspectives from *culture, venture capital, design, food, and innovation ecosystems*, the conversation asks a deceptively simple question: *who are we actually designing innovation for?* How can accessibility become part of product and service design rather than an afterthought? How do investors identify solutions capable of reaching broader populations? What can human-centred design teach us about developing for different ages, abilities, needs, and socioeconomic realities? And how can sectors such as food and culture become powerful environments for making innovation more inclusive and relevant to everyday life? The discussion also challenges the assumption that accessibility and commercial success are competing goals. Designing for a wider range of people can create better products, unlock overlooked markets, and help innovations move from niche solutions towards meaningful scale. *Speakers:* • Anna Zò – Head of MIH PRO, Music Innovation Hub • David Bassani – Founding Partner, Maia Ventures • Giuseppe Andreoni – Professor, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Design • Asier Alea – Director, Global Development, Basque Culinary Center • Moderated by Catalina Valencia Zuluaga – Director, KMZero Food Innovation Hub Ultimately, inclusive innovation is not about taking solutions designed for a few and making them available to more people afterwards. *It is about designing differently from the start, recognising access, diversity, affordability, and usability as fundamental ingredients of better innovation.* *Powered by Lundbeck* The *Vitality Stage* at the Milan Longevity Summit explores how innovation moves from ideas and scientific breakthroughs into the markets, technologies, products, services, and business models shaping healthier lives and a healthier planet. *Learn more about the Milan Longevity Summit:* https://www.milanlongevitysummit.org #MilanLongevitySummit #InclusiveInnovation #ConsumerInnovation #HumanCenteredDesign #Accessibility #Innovation #Wellness #DesignForAll #Vitality #FutureOfInnovation