22 December 2025
by Sarah Daniels

IOM3 Investigates...Ed Conway at M3P3: Material World

Recorded live at M3P3, Ed Conway explores the materials that underpin our modern lives.

Ed Conway HonFIMMM, Economics Editor at Sky News and author of Material World, delivered his keynote presentation recorded live at M3P3 in November 2025. His book explores the six raw materials - sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium - that underpin modern life, from the concrete in our cities to the batteries powering the green transition.

Ed takes us on a journey behind the scenes of global supply chains, revealing how these materials shape geopolitics, technology, and sustainability. He shares stories from his travels to mines, deserts, and processing plants, and explains why our digital world is still deeply physical.

Connect with Ed:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ed-conway-466b172a 

Music
Pamgaea by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4193-pamgaea
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Related topics

Authors

Sarah Daniels

IOM3 Librarian

Sarah Daniels is the Librarian at the Boilerhouse in Grantham, where she looks after the library collections, the IOM3 map room, and the Institute's many historical archives. 

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