Fireside chat: Breaking the cycle: why investing early on in life pays off
3 March 2026 (17:50-18:05)
Description
In this fireside chat, Sidsel Marie Kristensen, CEO of the LEGO Foundation, spoke with Mario Nava, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, about the importance of investing in early childhood.
Kristensen highlighted how early learning plays a crucial role in children’s development and long-term opportunities. Drawing on the work of the LEGO Foundation, she emphasised the value of play-based learning as a way to help children develop essential skills such as creativity, collaboration and problem-solving.
She noted that around 90% of brain development takes place before the age of five, making early childhood a critical period. Investing early can therefore have lasting social and economic benefits, while delays in development at this stage can be difficult to reverse.
The discussion highlighted how stronger investment in early childhood can help break cycles of disadvantage and support better outcomes later in life, both for individuals and for society as a whole.
Speakers
Sidsel Marie Kristensen, CEO of the LEGO Foundation
Mario Nava, Director-General, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Rights and Inclusion, European Commission