SAVe (Sustainability in AV) announced Michael Blackman, Oladele “Dele” Ogunseitan and Diran Apelian as keynote speakers for the SAVe 2026 Global Conference, scheduled for Oct. 13-14 in Los Angeles. The speakers will examine sustainability issues affecting the global AV industry, including technology innovation, electronic waste, responsible manufacturing and the availability and recovery of critical materials.

The conference is intended to bring together stakeholders from across the AV ecosystem, including manufacturers, integrators, end users, higher education, government and nongovernmental organizations from the United States and other countries.

“Attendees of SAVe 2026 will have the opportunity to hear from, and interact with, industry and scientific leaders who are at the vanguard of sustainability in AV,” says Christina De Bono, founder and president of SAVe Sustainability in AV. “Never before has an industry organization assembled experts of this caliber to shape our understanding of the most important issue facing our industry, our communities, and our planet.”

Blackman, managing director of ISE Events, will discuss how aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals can drive innovation and opportunity in AV. He will also participate in the “Partnership for the Goals” breakout session, which will examine SAVe’s partnerships with ISE, AVIXA and HETMA.

Ogunseitan, a distinguished professor at the University of California, Irvine, will present “From Recognition to Remedy: Research and Advocacy at the Intersection of Electronic Waste and Sustainable Development.” His keynote will draw on more than two decades of research into the health and environmental effects of electronic waste, along with potential solutions involving industry partnerships and end-of-life product stewardship.

Apelian, a distinguished professor of material science and engineering at the University of California, Irvine, will focus on design and manufacturing for recovery and recycling. Apelian is also co-director of SPARC, the Institute for Sustainable Processing and Resource Convergence for Critical Materials. His presentation will examine the AV industry’s dependence on critical and near-critical elements and approaches for recovering those materials from secondary rather than virgin sources.

The two-day SAVe 2026 Global Conference will also include educational workshops, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. SAVe said the gathering is designed to connect participants across the international AV community around efforts to advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.