As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. For instance, back at the beginning of the pandemic, we never imagined that the world would produce several effective COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year. Whether it is telemedicine, vaccines, rapid tests, or automation, the urgent needs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have given rise to a great deal of innovation. Continuous innovation will be needed as we exit the pandemic and begin to consider how to complete our social safety net and launch a green recovery.