"How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when it is quite clearly Ocean." This famous quip by science fiction luminary Arthur C. Clarke playfully highlights a fundamental truth - the ocean dominates our blue planet, covering over 70% of its surface. Yet the name "Earth" reflects a decidedly land-centric perspective, one that has often led humanity to take the ocean for granted. Our complex and frequently misguided relationship with the marine realm is embodied in this misnomer.   For much of human history, the ocean has been viewed as a limitless resource to be exploited and a bound ..read more

The Eden Project, United Kingdom. Grimshaw Architects Nature-inspired innovation, also known as biomimicry, biomimetics or biologically inspired design, is a rapidly growing field that looks to living systems for inspiration to solve human challenges. By studying how organisms and ecosystems have evolved to thrive in their environments, nature-inspired innovation aims to take inspiration from biological and ecological phenomena and reverse-engineer for human-made design.   The Nature-inspired Innovation Revolution The idea of learning from nature has a long history in architecture, from ..read more

Nature has been a source of inspiration for human innovation throughout history. From the design of aeroplanes inspired by birds to the development of strong adhesives based on gecko feet, nature-inspired innovation (or biomimicry) has led to countless breakthrough technologies. Nature-inspired innovation is the study of biological & ecological forms, functions, processes, and interactions to solve human challenges.   Introduction The field of nature-inspired innovation (or biomimicry) has been growing rapidly in recent years, with over 10,000 research papers published in 2023, accor ..read more

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