SmartAging Podcast #29-Biomaterials for Smarter Aging: Nature-Inspired Materials for Future Care

Nature has spent millions of years developing ways to protect living organisms from pathogens. Could these existing solutions help us create safer, more sustainable and more human-centred care environments?

In this SmartAging podcast episode, host Pasi Rantanen is joined by Mikko Ruuska from IKIGAIA, Eero Knuutila, CEO of LignoSphere, and Professor Varpu Marjomäki from the Nanoscience Center at the University of Jyväskylä.

The discussion explores the potential of biomaterials in elderly care, hospitals and other shared environments. Professor Marjomäki explains how trees and plants produce complex protective compounds and discusses research into antiviral materials, including pine-derived resin. Eero introduces lignin—an abundant but still underused natural polymer—and examines what is needed to turn promising biomaterials into scalable, cost-effective commercial solutions.

The guests also address the practical barriers: strict regulation, safety requirements, repeated cleaning and the challenge of introducing new materials into established industries. Natural materials must offer proven benefits and work reliably in real-world applications.

Beyond hygiene and sustainability, the episode asks how natural materials, plants, familiar textures and connections to forests could make care environments feel warmer and more like homes. Looking ahead, the guests envision a balance between nature and technology—combining renewable materials and communal green spaces with automation that supports care professionals and dignified everyday living.

Listen to the full episode to discover how science, business and human-centred design can come together to help shape the future of care.

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