Dr Anne Schiffer spent the week at the Design Research Society Conference in Edinburgh (#DRS2026) where she presented ‘Critical Minerals in the Body: Towards Re-use in Orthopaedic Healthcare’. The paper was developed in collaboration with pediatric orthopaedic surgeon Anthony Cooper:
As global demand for critical minerals grows across defence, digital technologies, energy and transport, healthcare faces many of the same supply chain challenges. The paper explores the implications for orthopaedic healthcare, where materials such as titanium and metal alloys are essential for implants.
Drawing on a content analysis of leading orthopaedic manufacturers and an ongoing collaboration between Canadian and East African paediatric orthopaedic healthcare professionals, the paper identifies a set of “Orthopaedic Critical Minerals” and highlight how product re-use could help address material shortages while also contributing to more equitable global healthcare outcomes.
📄 The full paper is available to read here:
https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3693&context=drs-conference-papers