Lighting Up the Amazon with Recycled Bottles | Recorded Live at Web Summit Rio

🦾 Affordable Bionic ProstheticsA Brazilian start-up is using 3D printing and muscle-controlled technology to develop affordable bionic arms, giving amputees greater independence at a fraction of the cost of traditional prosthetics.🧠 Can AI Diagnose Autism Earlier?Researchers have created an AI-powered screening platform that analyses home videos and eye movements to help identify children at risk of autism from as young as 16 months, potentially reducing years of waiting for specialist support.✈️ Turning Waste Oil into Green Aviation FuelCould used cooking oil and the native macaúba palm help decarbonise aviation? We explore a breakthrough Brazilian technology converting low-quality oils into sustainable aviation fuel and green diesel.🎙️ PodExtra: Fighting Food Inflation with TechnologyIn this week's subscriber-only PodExtra, we travel to Nigeria to discover how a digital food marketplace is helping families cope with soaring grocery prices through affordable food, flexible payments and nutritional advice.The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Production Manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected] 📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast) If you like our show please rate and review us.

💡 Bringing Light to the AmazonCan a recycled plastic bottle change lives? At Web Summit Rio 2026, Ania Lichtarowicz meets Rodrigo Eidy, President of Litro de Luz Brasil, to discover how simple solar-powered lighting systems are bringing safe, sustainable light to remote Amazon communities. It's a story of innovation, sustainability and technology creating opportunity where electricity has never reached.🤖 Robotics Giving People a Second ChanceAlso in this episode, Ania speaks with Maria Wecker, founder and CEO of Scale Reabilitação, about robotic rehabilitation technology that's helping stroke survivors and people with neurological injuries regain movement and independence. From affordable healthcare innovation to the future of assistive robotics, discover how Brazil is emerging as a global leader in technology for good.The show is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Production Manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected] 📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast) If you like our show please rate and review us.

Can AI predict a tunnel collapse before it happens?As cities grow and become more crowded, we are increasingly building underground. But tunnelling beneath busy urban areas can be dangerous, with unstable ground, changing geological conditions and the risk of damage to buildings and infrastructure above. We explore how AI is bringing together geological and construction data to predict potential tunnel problems up to seven days in advance.What if your paediatrician was just a WhatsApp message away?At three in the morning, a child has a fever but how do parents know whether to wait, give medication or rush to hospital? We explore how DocoKids connects families with real paediatricians through WhatsApp, even in communities with limited internet access, while AI works behind the scenes to help doctors save time and improve access to healthcare.The presenter is Ania Lichtarowicz.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected] 📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast) If you like our show please rate and review us.

MIT’s flying and swimming robot takes inspiration from diving birds to explore the oceans of tomorrowMIT engineers have created a remarkable aerial-aquatic robot that can swim underwater, launch through the surface and fly through the air, just like diving birds. Professor Raphael Zufferey explains how nature inspired this breakthrough, why moving between water and air is such a complex engineering challenge, and how these robots could help scientists monitor oceans, collect data and explore places too dangerous for traditional vessels.Vaillant UK on heat pumps, innovation and the technology driving the transition to cleaner heatingAt East Mids Tech Week, we spoke to James Fowler, Marketing and Strategy Director at Vaillant UK, about the future of home heating. From advanced heat pump technology to improving energy efficiency, he explains how engineering innovation could help reduce carbon emissions, lower energy use and transform the way we heat our homes.The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania LichtarowiczSomewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do:➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected]➡️ Email: [email protected]📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en)➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)If you like our show please rate and review us.

Are AI Writing Assistants Quietly Shaping Public Opinion?A new study suggests that the AI tools many of us use every day on platforms like LinkedIn, X and Google may be doing more than improving our grammar and polishing our posts. Researchers found that AI writing assistants can subtly alter the direction of our messages on contested issues—and, over time, those tiny changes could influence collective opinion at scale. Joining us are Professor Sandra Wachter and Kai Rawal to discuss the implications for democracy, online discourse and whether AI is becoming an invisible force shaping what we think and say.The World's Second-Most-Downloaded Ride-Hailing App Wants to Redefine Platform CapitalismYou may not have heard of inDrive, but with more than 400 million downloads across 48 countries and 1,200 cities, it's quietly become one of the world's biggest technology companies. Now, the company is expanding beyond ride-hailing into grocery delivery, fintech and its ambitious vision of becoming a global super app. We speak to Andries Smit about the future of mobility, why the next generation of tech giants may emerge from outside Silicon Valley, and whether a different model of platform capitalism is possible.The Programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz .Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected] 📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast) If you like our show please rate and review us.

435 Million Gig Workers, Secret Pricing Systems & The Global Fight for Transparency in the Digital EconomyThe World Bank estimates there are more than 435 million online gig workers worldwide, yet most have little visibility into the algorithms that determine what they earn. In this special episode of Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast, recorded live at Web Summit Rio, we explore who really benefits from the platform economy and why transparency, worker rights and data ownership have become global issues. Joining host Ania Lichtarowicz are Len Sherman, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School and researcher on platform economics; Luiz Neves, CEO and founder of GigU, the app helping drivers understand the true profitability of ride and delivery offers; and Angelica Mari, award-winning journalist and CEO covering technology, innovation and the future of work in Brazil and beyond. Together, they discuss Uber's take rates, algorithmic pricing, the battle over driver data, platform regulation, and why governments in 187 countries are debating the future of digital labour. This is an essential conversation on the future of work, the gig economy, AI-driven platforms and the rights of millions of workers worldwideThe programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast--6924871/support.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.

435 Million Gig Workers, Secret Pricing Systems & The Global Fight for Transparency in the Digital EconomyThe World Bank estimates there are more than 435 million online gig workers worldwide, yet most have little visibility into the algorithms that determine what they earn. In this special episode of Somewhere on Earth: The Global Tech Podcast, recorded live at Web Summit Rio, we explore who really benefits from the platform economy and why transparency, worker rights and data ownership have become global issues. Joining host Ania Lichtarowicz are Len Sherman, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School and researcher on platform economics; Luiz Neves, CEO and founder of GigU, the app helping drivers understand the true profitability of ride and delivery offers; and Angelica Mari, award-winning journalist and CEO covering technology, innovation and the future of work in Brazil and beyond. Together, they discuss Uber's take rates, algorithmic pricing, the battle over driver data, platform regulation, and why governments in 187 countries are debating the future of digital labour. This is an essential conversation on the future of work, the gig economy, AI-driven platforms and the rights of millions of workers worldwideThe programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast--6924871/support.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected] 📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast) If you like our show please rate and review us.

How AI Agents Could Change Digital PaymentsBrazil's Pix payment system has already transformed how millions of people move money. Now, fintech company Iniciador is exploring what happens when artificial intelligence can initiate payments on behalf of users. We speak with Chief Product Officer Gustavo Bressler about AI-powered transactions, security, regulation and the future of digital commerce.Can Innovation Create More Value from the Amazon?We also meet Tomaz Martins from Maçaix, a Brazilian foodtech company using technology, traceability and regenerative business models to reinvent açaí production. From specialty açaí to biodiversity innovation, we explore how technology could help create economic opportunities while supporting the protection of the Amazon rainforest.The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast--6924871/support.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.

How AI Agents Could Change Digital PaymentsBrazil's Pix payment system has already transformed how millions of people move money. Now, fintech company Iniciador is exploring what happens when artificial intelligence can initiate payments on behalf of users. We speak with Chief Product Officer Gustavo Bressler about AI-powered transactions, security, regulation and the future of digital commerce.Can Innovation Create More Value from the Amazon?We also meet Tomaz Martins from Maçaix, a Brazilian foodtech company using technology, traceability and regenerative business models to reinvent açaí production. From specialty açaí to biodiversity innovation, we explore how technology could help create economic opportunities while supporting the protection of the Amazon rainforest.The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast--6924871/support.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.

How Trust Became Fintech's Most Valuable Asset As artificial intelligence reshapes financial services, technology alone is no longer enough to stand out. Denise Johansson, co-founder and CEO of Enfuce, explains why trust is becoming one of fintech's most powerful growth strategies. From startup beginnings in Finland to powering payments for global brands including Porsche, Octopus Energy and Circle K, she reveals how credibility, responsible innovation and strong customer relationships can create a competitive advantage in the AI era.Can Drones Restore the World's Forests?Reforestation is attracting billions in climate investment, but restoring ecosystems at scale remains a huge challenge. In Brazil, Ceres Seeding is using drones, aerial mapping and native seeds to help recover degraded landscapes faster and more efficiently. We explore how technology is transforming environmental restoration and whether data-driven reforestation could play a major role in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.The programme is presented by Ania Lichtarowicz.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast--6924871/support.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.Production manager: Liz TuohyEditor: Ania Lichtarowicz  Somewhere on Earth Productions UK Ltd. We’re a UK based production company creating podcasts and branded content that bring stories, places and people into focus. We’re all ex-BBC so the quality of the content is excellent and quality of the sound is amazing.🎥 Learn more about what we do: ➡️ Official Website: https://somewhereonearth.co/ 📩 Contact us or book a project: [email protected] ➡️ Email: [email protected]   📱 Follow us on socials:➡️ Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/soeptech/?hl=en) ➡️ Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/httpssomewhereonearth.co)➡️ LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/somewhere-on-earth-the-global-tech-podcast)    If you like our show please rate and review us.