Spacecraft must withstand hostile and variable environments, similar to the challenges faced by living organisms. By studying how biological systems have evolved to survive and thrive in diverse conditions, we can draw inspiration for innovative space engineering solutions.   Abstracting Biological Principles The key to successful nature-inspired innovation is not to replicate biological organisms exactly, but rather to understand and abstract the fundamental principles and mechanisms that enable their success. This involves: Identifying the essential functions and processes that contr ..read more

  Water is life. It's a precious resource that sustains our planet's diverse ecosystems and powers the beating heart of human civilization. Yet, as our global population continues to grow and the impacts of climate change intensify, the sustainable management and treatment of water have never been more critical.    Enter the fascinating field of nature-inspired innovation - a design approach that looks to nature for inspiration, by studying how living organisms and ecosystems have evolved over billions of years to adapt to their environments, we can unlock a treasure trove of i ..read more

Understanding nature's building blocks is crucial for the successful application of biomimicry and nature-inspired innovation. By studying how living systems utilise a limited set of materials to create structures with remarkable properties, we can gain valuable insights for designing engineered systems.   Our Nature-Inspired Innovation (NII) Framework provides a lens to analyse biological systems in terms of six key aspects: substance, structure, energy, information, space, and time. This framework helps us understand the complex interplay and trade-offs between these aspects of living ..read more

In an unprecedented move, the UK is embarking on a transformative journey to digitize its vast natural history collections, a project spearheaded by the Natural History Museum and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). This ambitious £155 million, 10-year programme, known as DiSSCo UK (Distributed System of Scientific Collections), aims to digitize over 137 million items that span an incredible 4.6-billion-year history of the Earth. These collections, which include specimens from every corner of the globe, are invaluable for understanding biodiversity, evolution, a ..read more

Self-healing and self-repairing materials represent a groundbreaking area of materials science that draws inspiration from nature's remarkable ability to heal and regenerate. These innovative materials possess the capability to autonomously repair damage and restore functionality, leading to extended lifetimes, enhanced safety and reliability, and more sustainable use of resources. Nature-inspired innovation plays a pivotal role in the development of self-healing materials, as researchers look to biological systems for insights into designing synthetic materials with similar regenerative prop ..read more

  Effective nature-inspired innovation (or biomimicry) requires dialogue between designers and biologists, and this dialogue must be rooted in a shared scientific understanding of living systems. As the founder of the Biomimicry Innovation Lab, I've witnessed the transformative power of nature-inspired innovation. Our work is rooted in the understanding of organisms and living systems, and we believe that a shared scientific understanding of these systems can unlock unprecedented potential for designers, engineers, innovators and biologists alike.   Introduction The field of nature ..read more

As the European technology sector continues to evolve and grow, start-up hubs are playing an increasingly crucial role in fostering innovation and supporting the development of new businesses. These hubs are reinventing their models to better serve the unique needs of the European tech landscape, creating ecosystems that nurture and propel start-ups towards success.   Connecting Start-ups with Key Stakeholders John Thornhill writing in the Financial Times analyses the European tech ecosystem based on research by Statista and Sifted. ”Since 2005, Y Combinator has nurtured and funded 4,00 ..read more

“Whether the chemicals and materials synthesised within biological systems are “safe” depends on the species in question, their life history stage, their environmental context, and, last but not least, the quantity of the chemical compound in question. Nevertheless, almost all are ultimately biodegradable, given sufficient time and the right environmental conditions.” — Lecointre et 2023   When it comes to the chemistry found in nature, there is a common perception that everything produced by biological systems is inherently "safe." However, there is a more nuanced perspective on this no ..read more

At Biomimicry Innovation Lab, we focus on solving complex problems by looking to living systems and ecological principles for inspiration. A key part of this process is thoroughly understanding the problem, including the constraints, trade-offs, and challenges inherent in any complex issue. This applies not just to the technical aspects of a business, but extends to supply chains, environmental impacts, and effects on ecosystems.   Understanding the Problem: Constraints and Challenges in Human and Nature-Inspired Problem Solving One useful framework for nature-inspired problem-solving co ..read more

Nature-inspired innovation, also known as biomimicry, biomimetics or biologically-inspired design, involves learning from living nature to develop technical applications.   There are two main approaches used in the process: The biology push process (bottom-up approach) - A technical product is developed based on the study of forms, functions, processes and interaction principles discovered through biological and ecological research.  The technology pull process (top-down approach) - Biomimetic improvements are sought for an existing technical product. This article will compar ..read more