RISE Joins International Initiative on Brain Health and Economic Resilience

The commission aims to develop new tools and recommendations to help countries, businesses, and public organisations strengthen brain health as a foundation for innovation, productivity, and long-term economic resilience. Cleo Valentine, Senior Researcher and Innovation Lead at RISE, is a member of the commission with a particular focus on exposomics – the study of how people’s combined environmental and life-course exposures affect their health – and its significance for brain health and economic resilience. Today, societies routinely measure financial capital, natural capital, and human capital. The commission seeks to draw attention to another critical asset: people’s cognitive capacity – increasingly referred to as brain capital. 

 “As more routine tasks become automated, our ability to think critically, learn continuously, collaborate and navigate complexity will become one of our most important competitive advantages. We need to start viewing brain health as a strategic investment for organisations and societies, not only as a healthcare issue,” says Cleo Valentine. 

Over the next two years, the commission will develop frameworks and metrics to better understand how brain health influences innovation, workforce capability, productivity, and society’s ability to adapt to change. For RISE, the initiative also highlights the importance of translating research into practical solutions. Across areas such as neuroarchitecture, working life, digitalisation and sustainable community development, RISE is already exploring how environments, technologies and organisations affect human wellbeing, performance and creativity. 

“If the economy of the future is increasingly built on creativity, learning and problem-solving, then we must design our workplaces, schools, healthcare environments and cities accordingly. Neuroarchitecture demonstrates how the built environment can actively support both brain health and innovation capacity,” says Maria Tunberg, Vice President Research and Business Development, Built Environment at RISE. 

The Brain Health for Economic Resilience Commission was launched in June 2026 and is presented in an article published in Nature Medicine.  

Nature Medicine Commission on Brain Health for Economic Resilience — Global Brain Economy Initiative 
 
Read more about Neuroarchtechture and neurodesign at RISE: 
Neuroarchitecture and neurodesign for health-promoting environments 
 
Contact: 
Johanna Stål 
Head of communications, Built environment at RISE 
johanna.stal@ri.se 

+46 73 040 75 19