Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability conferences offer a chance to break out of busy routines and devote time to expanding knowledge and freshening perspectives. And there’s no better time to connect with people who uniquely understand the challenges and rewards of working in this important industry.

The slate of EHS&S conferences taking place in 2026 across the United States is packed with expert speakers, inspiring topics, and opportunities to connect with peers who are also working to create a safer and healthier world. Put these key events on your calendar for the coming year.

 

GREENBIZ 26

Dates: February 17-19, 2026

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Event Details: Join the dynamic GreenBiz community to harness the knowledge of experts, peers and new voices to help you learn what’s next in decarbonization, biodiversity, supply chains, strategic communications, and more. Join 2,500 professionals and accelerate your career with connection, sharing, and learning.

Website: https://trellis.net/events/greenbiz/

(Image Credit: Trellis.net)

 

REUTERS RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS USA 2026

Dates: May 5-6, 2026

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Event Details: Sustainable business is now the imperative. Rising pressures for immediate sustainable action and leadership, increasing legal risks, and complex financial realities are making the effective integration of sustainability across all functions fundamental to long-term business success.

This event brings together CEOs, senior sustainability, legal, communications and finance executives to share their actionable ideas and insights on how to collaborate, communicate, and comply to ensure your organization leads on sustainable action. Join to gain the tools to successfully integrate sustainability across core functions, master reporting efficiently and effectively, and engage with key stakeholders for maximum impact.

Website: https://events.reutersevents.com/sustainable-business/responsible-business-usa

(Image Credit: Reuters)

 

NAEM OPEX26 + TECH26 – EHS Operational Excellence & EHS + ESG Data & Reporting Conference

Date: April 14-16, 2026

Location: St. Petersburg, Florida

Event Details: NAEM’s OPEX26 EHS Operational Excellence conference focuses on EHS management strategies and leading best practices to reduce risk, embed compliance into your business culture, and reach new levels of operational excellence. NAEM’s EHS+ESG Conference brings together corporate “in-house” leaders focused on EHS and sustainability outcomes and ESG reporting with the marketplace of software, digital solutions, and technology providers.

Website: https://www.naem.org/events/

(Image Credit: NAEM)

 

2026 AIHA Connect

Date: June 1-3, 2026

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Event Details: Since 1939, AIHA’s annual conference has been vital for occupational health and safety professionals. Targeting a broad audience, AIHA Connect provides knowledge through sessions, lectures, demonstrations, and development courses, ensuring participants can protect worker health and improve workplace safety.

Website: https://aihaconnect.org/

(Image Credit: AHIA Connect)

 

Alliance for Water Stewardship 10th Global Water Stewardship Forum

Dates: June 23-24, 2026

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Event Details: The AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum is a key event in which AWS community of members, implementers, and stakeholders share knowledge and learning on the evolution of water stewardship practice and forge new directions through dialogue and partnerships. Held in Edinburgh, Scotland, since 2016, it has become the must-attend event for the international water stewardship community.

Website: https://a4ws.org/global-water-stewardship-forum/

(Image Credit: Alliance for Water Stewardship)

 

WORLD WATER WEEK 2026

Dates: August 23-27, 2026

Location: Stockholm, Sweden, and Online

Event Details: For over 30 years, the Stockholm International Water Institute has organized World Water Week. World Water Week 2026 is focused on Water for People and Progress.

Website: https://www.worldwaterweek.org/

(Image Credit: SIWI X Account)

 

VPPPA’s 2026 Safety+ Symposium

Dates: August 30-September 2, 2026

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Event Details: For over 30 years, the VPPPA Safety + Symposium is the only national educational event for VPP worksites to achieve and maintain safety and health excellence. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to interact and directly learn from other safety professionals, industry leaders and federal agencies. Interaction with these safety professionals will help improve your company’s safety program through educational seminars, round-table discussions, and collaboration with other safety professionals.

Website: http://safety.vpppa.org/

(Image Credit: Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association)

 

2026 NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL CONGRESS & EXPO

Dates: September 11-17, 2026

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Event Details: For more than 100 years, safety, health and environmental professionals have turned to the world’s largest annual safety event for industry-leading technology, education, networking opportunities and the tried-and-true products and services needed to stay at the forefront and remain competitive within the industry.

Website: https://www.congress.nsc.org/NSC2026/Public/Enter.aspx

(Image Credit: NSC Congress & Expo)

 

SUSTAINABLE BRANDS: SB’26

Dates: June 8-10, 2026

Location: San Diego, California

Event Details: Sustainable Brands ’26 is a global event for regenerative brands and leaders. According to their website, “For more than 17 years, Sustainable Brands (SB), a female-founded Public Benefit Corporation, has convened a community of courageous optimists reshaping the future of commerce worldwide. SB is where purpose, credibility, and authenticity meet – and also where today’s business and brand leaders come to learn, get inspired, and engage with one another to share new ideas that can help them deliver sustainable business value through innovation for environmental and social benefit.”

Website: https://events.sustainablebrands.com/conferences/sustainablebrands/

(Image Credit: Sustainable Brands)

 

FORUM26: NAEM EHS & SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT FORUM

Dates: October 12-14, 2026

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Event Details: NAEM’s EHS & Sustainability Management Forum is the largest annual gathering for environment, health and safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) decision-makers. Join your peers from leading companies, get exposed to new ideas, and come away energized and ready to implement what you’ve learned.

Website: https://www.naem.org/events/read/2026/10/12/conferences-events/forum26-ehs-sustainability-management-forum

(Image Credit: NAEM)

 

Looking for a different type of conference? Contact us or check out our news and webinar pages to see what Antea Group is up to.

Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability conferences offer a chance to break out of busy routines and devote time to expanding knowledge and freshening perspectives. And there’s no better time to connect with people who uniquely understand the challenges and rewards of working in this important industry.

The slate of EHS&S conferences taking place in 2026 across the United States is packed with expert speakers, inspiring topics, and opportunities to connect with peers who are also working to create a safer and healthier world. Put these key events on your calendar for the coming year.

 

GREENBIZ 26

Dates: February 17-19, 2026

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Event Details: Join the dynamic GreenBiz community to harness the knowledge of experts, peers and new voices to help you learn what’s next in decarbonization, biodiversity, supply chains, strategic communications, and more. Join 2,500 professionals and accelerate your career with connection, sharing, and learning.

Website: https://trellis.net/events/greenbiz/

(Image Credit: Trellis.net)

 

REUTERS RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS USA 2026

Dates: May 5-6, 2026

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Event Details: Sustainable business is now the imperative. Rising pressures for immediate sustainable action and leadership, increasing legal risks, and complex financial realities are making the effective integration of sustainability across all functions fundamental to long-term business success.

This event brings together CEOs, senior sustainability, legal, communications and finance executives to share their actionable ideas and insights on how to collaborate, communicate, and comply to ensure your organization leads on sustainable action. Join to gain the tools to successfully integrate sustainability across core functions, master reporting efficiently and effectively, and engage with key stakeholders for maximum impact.

Website: https://events.reutersevents.com/sustainable-business/responsible-business-usa

(Image Credit: Reuters)

 

NAEM OPEX26 + TECH26 – EHS Operational Excellence & EHS + ESG Data & Reporting Conference

Date: April 14-16, 2026

Location: St. Petersburg, Florida

Event Details: NAEM’s OPEX26 EHS Operational Excellence conference focuses on EHS management strategies and leading best practices to reduce risk, embed compliance into your business culture, and reach new levels of operational excellence. NAEM’s EHS+ESG Conference brings together corporate “in-house” leaders focused on EHS and sustainability outcomes and ESG reporting with the marketplace of software, digital solutions, and technology providers.

Website: https://www.naem.org/events/

(Image Credit: NAEM)

 

2026 AIHA Connect

Date: June 1-3, 2026

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Event Details: Since 1939, AIHA’s annual conference has been vital for occupational health and safety professionals. Targeting a broad audience, AIHA Connect provides knowledge through sessions, lectures, demonstrations, and development courses, ensuring participants can protect worker health and improve workplace safety.

Website: https://aihaconnect.org/

(Image Credit: AHIA Connect)

 

Alliance for Water Stewardship 10th Global Water Stewardship Forum

Dates: June 23-24, 2026

Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

Event Details: The AWS Global Water Stewardship Forum is a key event in which AWS community of members, implementers, and stakeholders share knowledge and learning on the evolution of water stewardship practice and forge new directions through dialogue and partnerships. Held in Edinburgh, Scotland, since 2016, it has become the must-attend event for the international water stewardship community.

Website: https://a4ws.org/global-water-stewardship-forum/

(Image Credit: Alliance for Water Stewardship)

 

WORLD WATER WEEK 2026

Dates: August 23-27, 2026

Location: Stockholm, Sweden, and Online

Event Details: For over 30 years, the Stockholm International Water Institute has organized World Water Week. World Water Week 2026 is focused on Water for People and Progress.

Website: https://www.worldwaterweek.org/

(Image Credit: SIWI X Account)

 

VPPPA’s 2026 Safety+ Symposium

Dates: August 30-September 2, 2026

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Event Details: For over 30 years, the VPPPA Safety + Symposium is the only national educational event for VPP worksites to achieve and maintain safety and health excellence. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to interact and directly learn from other safety professionals, industry leaders and federal agencies. Interaction with these safety professionals will help improve your company’s safety program through educational seminars, round-table discussions, and collaboration with other safety professionals.

Website: http://safety.vpppa.org/

(Image Credit: Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association)

 

2026 NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL CONGRESS & EXPO

Dates: September 11-17, 2026

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana

Event Details: For more than 100 years, safety, health and environmental professionals have turned to the world’s largest annual safety event for industry-leading technology, education, networking opportunities and the tried-and-true products and services needed to stay at the forefront and remain competitive within the industry.

Website: https://www.congress.nsc.org/NSC2026/Public/Enter.aspx

(Image Credit: NSC Congress & Expo)

 

SUSTAINABLE BRANDS: SB’26

Dates: June 8-10, 2026

Location: San Diego, California

Event Details: Sustainable Brands ’26 is a global event for regenerative brands and leaders. According to their website, “For more than 17 years, Sustainable Brands (SB), a female-founded Public Benefit Corporation, has convened a community of courageous optimists reshaping the future of commerce worldwide. SB is where purpose, credibility, and authenticity meet – and also where today’s business and brand leaders come to learn, get inspired, and engage with one another to share new ideas that can help them deliver sustainable business value through innovation for environmental and social benefit.”

Website: https://events.sustainablebrands.com/conferences/sustainablebrands/

(Image Credit: Sustainable Brands)

 

FORUM26: NAEM EHS & SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT FORUM

Dates: October 12-14, 2026

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Event Details: NAEM’s EHS & Sustainability Management Forum is the largest annual gathering for environment, health and safety, and sustainability (EHS&S) decision-makers. Join your peers from leading companies, get exposed to new ideas, and come away energized and ready to implement what you’ve learned.

Website: https://www.naem.org/events/read/2026/10/12/conferences-events/forum26-ehs-sustainability-management-forum

(Image Credit: NAEM)

 

Looking for a different type of conference? Contact us or check out our news and webinar pages to see what Antea Group is up to.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 10, 2026 /3BL/ – The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) today announced the deployment of its new and improved greenhouse gas management and reporting platform, the RBA Emissions Management Tool (EMT).

The EMT collects emissions data such as energy consumption and fuel use data to calculate GHG emissions values. Other data tracked includes reporting and verification status, and information on reduction targets and initiatives from reporting entities. The EMT’s emission calculation methodology follows the recognized standards of the GHG Protocol and uses emission factors and coefficients backed by established data sources.

The EMT has a standardized greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting questionnaire and a platform that allows suppliers to complete their GHG inventory once and share those results with multiple RBA member customers through integration with RBA-Online – the RBA’s data management system – eliminating duplicate requests and reducing supplier burden.

“The RBA Emissions Management Tool complements the RBA’s existing environmental tools and resources, including its environmental surveys, chemical management due diligence tools, circular materials landscape assessment and waste tracking tools, and supplier capacity-building tools for improved environmental performance across RBA member supply chains,” said Holly Evans, Senior Vice President, Environmental Policy and Legal Affairs, Responsible Business Alliance (RBA).

The new version of the EMT includes significant improvements over the previous tool, with more flexible reporting periods, the ability to allocate supplier emissions by customers, and improved download capabilities for data portability.

Companies can learn more about the RBA Emissions Management Tool on the RBA website and contact rei@responsiblebusiness.org with any questions. 

The new EMT is an RBA member benefit that is available free of charge to members and their suppliers. The platform can be accessed through RBA-Online.

About the Responsible Business Alliance
The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) is a nonprofit organization comprised of companies committed to responsible business conduct in their global supply chains. The RBA has a Code of Conduct and a range of programs, training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement. The organization has a global footprint, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The RBA also has initiatives focused on specific issue areas, including its Responsible Minerals, Labor, Factory and Environment Initiatives, and its Responsible Glove Alliance. The RBA and its Initiatives have more than 600 members with combined annual revenues of greater than $8 trillion, directly employing over 21.5 million people, with products manufactured in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit responsiblebusiness.org.

Media Contact
Jarrett Bens, Senior Director of Communications
Responsible Business Alliance
Phone: +1 571.858.5721
jbens@responsiblebusiness.org

ALEXANDRIA, Va., February 10, 2026 /3BL/ – The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) today announced the deployment of its new and improved greenhouse gas management and reporting platform, the RBA Emissions Management Tool (EMT).

The EMT collects emissions data such as energy consumption and fuel use data to calculate GHG emissions values. Other data tracked includes reporting and verification status, and information on reduction targets and initiatives from reporting entities. The EMT’s emission calculation methodology follows the recognized standards of the GHG Protocol and uses emission factors and coefficients backed by established data sources.

The EMT has a standardized greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting questionnaire and a platform that allows suppliers to complete their GHG inventory once and share those results with multiple RBA member customers through integration with RBA-Online – the RBA’s data management system – eliminating duplicate requests and reducing supplier burden.

“The RBA Emissions Management Tool complements the RBA’s existing environmental tools and resources, including its environmental surveys, chemical management due diligence tools, circular materials landscape assessment and waste tracking tools, and supplier capacity-building tools for improved environmental performance across RBA member supply chains,” said Holly Evans, Senior Vice President, Environmental Policy and Legal Affairs, Responsible Business Alliance (RBA).

The new version of the EMT includes significant improvements over the previous tool, with more flexible reporting periods, the ability to allocate supplier emissions by customers, and improved download capabilities for data portability.

Companies can learn more about the RBA Emissions Management Tool on the RBA website and contact rei@responsiblebusiness.org with any questions. 

The new EMT is an RBA member benefit that is available free of charge to members and their suppliers. The platform can be accessed through RBA-Online.

About the Responsible Business Alliance
The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) is a nonprofit organization comprised of companies committed to responsible business conduct in their global supply chains. The RBA has a Code of Conduct and a range of programs, training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement. The organization has a global footprint, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. The RBA also has initiatives focused on specific issue areas, including its Responsible Minerals, Labor, Factory and Environment Initiatives, and its Responsible Glove Alliance. The RBA and its Initiatives have more than 600 members with combined annual revenues of greater than $8 trillion, directly employing over 21.5 million people, with products manufactured in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit responsiblebusiness.org.

Media Contact
Jarrett Bens, Senior Director of Communications
Responsible Business Alliance
Phone: +1 571.858.5721
jbens@responsiblebusiness.org

International Olympic Committee news
By William Imbo

Pope Leo XIV has sent “warm greetings” ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, saying he hopes “healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples” and promote welcoming, solidarity and peace.

The message was issued in a telegram dated 29 January and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. It was addressed to the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, for the welcoming celebration at the Church of San Babila, where the Olympic Cross of athletes was received ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics (6 February).

In the telegram, the Pope said he hoped the ceremony would “energise feelings of friendship and fraternity”, reinforcing the value of sport “in the service of integral human development”.

The statement in full is as follows:

“To his Excellence the Most Rev. Bishop Mario Delpini, Archbishop of Milan, Milan:

Pope Leo XIV addresses warm greetings to all participating in the welcome celebration in the Church of San Babila of the Olympic Cross of sportsmen at the opening of the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games. He hopes that this important event will energise feelings of friendship and fraternity, strengthening awareness of the value of sport in the service of integral human development. The Holy Father assures his prayer that these days of healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples, promoting welcoming, solidarity, and peace. With these wishes, the Supreme Pontiff is pleased to send the desired Apostolic Blessing, a pledge of constant divine assistance.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness”

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to run from 6 to 22 February 2026, followed by the Winter Paralympics from 6 to 15 March 2026.

International Olympic Committee news
By William Imbo

Pope Leo XIV has sent “warm greetings” ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, saying he hopes “healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples” and promote welcoming, solidarity and peace.

The message was issued in a telegram dated 29 January and signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. It was addressed to the Archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, for the welcoming celebration at the Church of San Babila, where the Olympic Cross of athletes was received ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics (6 February).

In the telegram, the Pope said he hoped the ceremony would “energise feelings of friendship and fraternity”, reinforcing the value of sport “in the service of integral human development”.

The statement in full is as follows:

“To his Excellence the Most Rev. Bishop Mario Delpini, Archbishop of Milan, Milan:

Pope Leo XIV addresses warm greetings to all participating in the welcome celebration in the Church of San Babila of the Olympic Cross of sportsmen at the opening of the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games. He hopes that this important event will energise feelings of friendship and fraternity, strengthening awareness of the value of sport in the service of integral human development. The Holy Father assures his prayer that these days of healthy competition will contribute to building bridges between cultures and peoples, promoting welcoming, solidarity, and peace. With these wishes, the Supreme Pontiff is pleased to send the desired Apostolic Blessing, a pledge of constant divine assistance.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness”

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to run from 6 to 22 February 2026, followed by the Winter Paralympics from 6 to 15 March 2026.

Originally published on 3M News Center

Across industries, engineers often begin the process of developing new products with a simple yet important question: How can I make this?

Answering that question requires a significant investment of time and resources and leads to many design and testing cycles. The opportunity to simplify and accelerate the design process inspired 3M to introduce two digital innovations: Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub.

Ask 3M is a new AI-powered digital assistant that helps customers find solutions to design challenges using 3M’s vast portfolio of adhesives and tapes. The 3M Digital Materials Hub, which initially launched last year, is expanding to enable direct collaboration with 3M scientists through the Workbench feature and power virtual materials sampling—including the option to explore generative solutions that don’t yet exist.

These tools leverage generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data cards to speed the introduction of solutions for 3M customers. They’ll help users, especially those at small and medium-sized businesses, identify the right material, to design and digitally validate materials before investing in physical prototypes.

“In fast moving industries like electronics, automotive, and data centers, speed is essential. Our combined digital and material capabilities are helping our customers stay ahead,” said Chris Goralski, group president of the 3M Safety and Industrial Business Group. “Our goal is to enable faster, more confident decision making so customers can integrate the right 3M materials in their designs and get to market sooner.”

Ask 3M is being piloted to engineers solving bonding design challenges utilizing tapes and adhesives – largely within 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. Leveraging Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) secure and scalable AI capabilities, including Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub demonstrate how agentic AI and advanced simulation can help 3M customers accelerate innovation cycles, reduce prototyping costs, and bring better products to market faster. Powered by AWS, the AI assistant guides users through substrates, environmental conditions, assembly methods, and performance targets to recommend suitable options, helping teams move from problem to final product more quickly.

“Together, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub allow customers of varying scope and scale to move from design challenge to solution concept then digital selection and simulation in minutes,” said Holly Semerad, chief marketing officer for 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. “We can further accelerate the testing timeframe with small quantity purchase options for final and confident prototyping.”

The 3M Digital Materials Hub launched last year is user-friendly, enabling easy search, filter and download of material data cards compatible with many leading finite element analysis (FEA) software platforms. The newly expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub now includes Optical Models, which represent 3M optical film performance for use in common simulation environments. Engineers in automotive, consumer electronics, and advanced manufacturing can quickly assess optical behaviors and material tradeoffs earlier in the process, reducing iterations and enabling faster decision-making. In a pilot with select customers, engineers reported that the tool enables seamless use of 3M materials into virtual simulations, accelerating prototyping and design.

The updated platform also enables customers to request bespoke virtual materials—technologies that solve their specific design challenges but don’t yet exist. It does this by leveraging 3M’s decades of material science and engineering expertise, which means the path to create these unique solutions is already in place and 3M can accelerate their development and delivery.

“With these platforms, 3M is redefining how engineers discover, evaluate, and simulate materials,” said Jason Langfield, 3M Digital Materials Hub project lead. “By drawing on 3M’s deep technological and application expertise, we can deliver secure, scalable access to mechanical models, optical models and virtual materials, while helping our customers reduce iterations, accelerate decisions, and bring better solutions to market faster.”

Originally published on 3M News Center

Across industries, engineers often begin the process of developing new products with a simple yet important question: How can I make this?

Answering that question requires a significant investment of time and resources and leads to many design and testing cycles. The opportunity to simplify and accelerate the design process inspired 3M to introduce two digital innovations: Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub.

Ask 3M is a new AI-powered digital assistant that helps customers find solutions to design challenges using 3M’s vast portfolio of adhesives and tapes. The 3M Digital Materials Hub, which initially launched last year, is expanding to enable direct collaboration with 3M scientists through the Workbench feature and power virtual materials sampling—including the option to explore generative solutions that don’t yet exist.

These tools leverage generative AI, advanced modeling, and simulation-ready data cards to speed the introduction of solutions for 3M customers. They’ll help users, especially those at small and medium-sized businesses, identify the right material, to design and digitally validate materials before investing in physical prototypes.

“In fast moving industries like electronics, automotive, and data centers, speed is essential. Our combined digital and material capabilities are helping our customers stay ahead,” said Chris Goralski, group president of the 3M Safety and Industrial Business Group. “Our goal is to enable faster, more confident decision making so customers can integrate the right 3M materials in their designs and get to market sooner.”

Ask 3M is being piloted to engineers solving bonding design challenges utilizing tapes and adhesives – largely within 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. Leveraging Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) secure and scalable AI capabilities, including Amazon Bedrock and AgentCore, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub demonstrate how agentic AI and advanced simulation can help 3M customers accelerate innovation cycles, reduce prototyping costs, and bring better products to market faster. Powered by AWS, the AI assistant guides users through substrates, environmental conditions, assembly methods, and performance targets to recommend suitable options, helping teams move from problem to final product more quickly.

“Together, Ask 3M and the 3M Digital Materials Hub allow customers of varying scope and scale to move from design challenge to solution concept then digital selection and simulation in minutes,” said Holly Semerad, chief marketing officer for 3M’s Safety & Industrial Business Group. “We can further accelerate the testing timeframe with small quantity purchase options for final and confident prototyping.”

The 3M Digital Materials Hub launched last year is user-friendly, enabling easy search, filter and download of material data cards compatible with many leading finite element analysis (FEA) software platforms. The newly expanded 3M Digital Materials Hub now includes Optical Models, which represent 3M optical film performance for use in common simulation environments. Engineers in automotive, consumer electronics, and advanced manufacturing can quickly assess optical behaviors and material tradeoffs earlier in the process, reducing iterations and enabling faster decision-making. In a pilot with select customers, engineers reported that the tool enables seamless use of 3M materials into virtual simulations, accelerating prototyping and design.

The updated platform also enables customers to request bespoke virtual materials—technologies that solve their specific design challenges but don’t yet exist. It does this by leveraging 3M’s decades of material science and engineering expertise, which means the path to create these unique solutions is already in place and 3M can accelerate their development and delivery.

“With these platforms, 3M is redefining how engineers discover, evaluate, and simulate materials,” said Jason Langfield, 3M Digital Materials Hub project lead. “By drawing on 3M’s deep technological and application expertise, we can deliver secure, scalable access to mechanical models, optical models and virtual materials, while helping our customers reduce iterations, accelerate decisions, and bring better solutions to market faster.”