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thank you

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Frei Paul Otto was a German architect and structural engineer noted for his use of lightweight structures, in particular tensile and membrane structures, including the roof of the Olympic Stadium in Munich for the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Frei Otto is considered the pioneer of lightweight construction of the 20th century. He was a visionary in both tensile membrane structures and utilising his love for nature to develop sustainable designs.

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A chemical engineer by training, Claire charted a path for biomimicry most notably in South Africa, but her impact was undoubtedly global.

Claire founded BiomimicrySA, Syntropy and Learn Biomimicry. She was instrumental in helping to establish the practice of biomimicry across the world through advocating, practice and education. Claire was often described as an ecological angel and Biomimicry Supernova.

She will be forever remembered as a biomimicry pioneer.

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Bioneers have been a pioneering species, an instrumental annual conference that has in sharing and supporting the biomimicry movement since 1990.

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In 2014, Biomimicry 3.8 teamed up with Arizona State University (ASU) to launch The Biomimicry Center.

The goal of the Center is to expand biomimicry higher education and research in academic settings around the world. B3.8’s training programs for professionals became accredited by ASU, and the biomimicry methodology is being introduced to other disciplines within the university community.

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2010: The first cohort of Biomimicry Professionals (B.Pro’s) Graduate

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2010: The first cohort of Biomimicry Professionals (B.Pro’s) Graduate

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Designed and taught by Dayna Baumeister and Biomimicry3.8, the first cohort successfully graduates. Claire Janisch was included in this cohort and went on to found BiomimicrySA and Learn Biomimicry.

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1998: Dayna Baumeister Arrives on the Scene

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1998: Dayna Baumeister Arrives on the Scene

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Dayna is a pioneering biomimicry thought-leader, business consultant, and professor.

She has been instrumental in the creation of modern biomimicry, the “formalised” education and application of biomimicry.

She designed the world’s first Biomimicry Professional Certification Program, a two-year master-level course in biomimicry. As senior editor, Dayna compiled a decade of experience in biomimicry into a practical how-to guide Biomimicry Resource Handbook: A Seed Bank of Best Practices (2013).

Additionally, Dayna has practically applied biomimicry and consulted to over 100+ businesses, including Interface, Nike and Boeing.

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Biomimicry begins to become a formalised practice and profession. Additionally, advancements in biology, science, manufacturing and engineering assist biomimicry's addition.

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Emergence of Early Biomimicry Innovators

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Emergence of Early Biomimicry Innovators

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Leonardo da Vinci was one of the earliest recorded biomimics, the angel child. His study and document of nature's principles for potential application in human inventions is the clearest example of applied biomimicry. His sketches and writings explored biomimicry ideas in-depth.

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Throughout history, humans have observed nature and drawn inspiration from it for various inventions.

Biomimicry (or biomimetics) is a (re)emerging discipline of ancient practice found within the majority of indigenous cultures.

Biomimicry has been practised before there was ever a specific word for it, and historically there exists a vast amount of indigenous wisdom that is, overlaps or relates to the practice of biomimicry. Biomimicry is thus an emerging discipline of an ancient practice. The formal discipline of biomimicry is, however, relatively new.

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1999: InterfaceFLOR gathered for their first biomimicry workshop

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1999: InterfaceFLOR gathered for their first biomimicry workshop

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In late 1999, employees from every department at InterfaceFLOR gathered for the first biomimicry workshop. They would go on to design Entropy®: Non-Directional Carpet Tiles. Following the success of Entropy®, InterfaceFLOR has gone on to apply the principles of biomimicry to other product designs as well as business and marketing models.

You can read the full biomimicry case study here

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In France, CEEBIOS: the Centre européen d’excellence en biomimétisme (European Centre of excellence in biomimetics) opened its doors in 2013 on the former Ordener military site in Senlis.

Today, Ceebios is widely recognised as the driving force behind the success of biomimicry in France.

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Michael Pawlyn is an architect and has a well-earned reputation as a pioneer of biomimicry. Before setting up his own practice, Exploration Architecture Ltd., he worked with Grimshaw Architects for ten years and was central to the team that radically re-invented horticultural architecture for the Eden Project. He lectures widely on the subject of sustainable design.

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2011: Biomimicry in Architecture is Published

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2011: Biomimicry in Architecture is Published

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An amazing sourcebook of extraordinary design solutions, Biomimicry in Architecture is a must-read for anyone preparing for the challenges of building a sustainable and restorative future

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The Ray of Hope Prize® identifies the top nature-inspired startups in the world and fosters their growth by providing a 10-week program focused on sustainable business training, communications support, and opportunities for non-dilutive funding. The winning team will receive a $100,000 prize, with an additional $50,000 to be distributed amongst the remaining cohort.

The Ray of Hope Prize is a key initiative of the Biomimicry Institute and their founding partner, the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. The late Ray Anderson was the Founder and Chairman of Interface, Inc. and a sustainable business pioneer. Biomimicry was an important part of Ray’s and Interface’s early success.

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2011: First demonstration of the SLIPS technology

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2011: First demonstration of the SLIPS technology

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SLIPS was pioneered by Joanna Aizenberg, Ph.D., a Wyss Institute Core Faculty Member and the Amy Smith Berylson Professor of Materials Science at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). SLIPS is a porous network of Teflon nanofibers that are infused, like a sponge, with an oil- and water-repelling fluid, that mimics the pitcher plant but also improves on it by repelling fluids of all types. The SLIPS technology has spawned a new company – Adaptive Surface Technologies, which focuses on surface-enhancement products.

🪴 Inspired by: Pitcher plant
📍 Where: Massachusetts, USA
🪣 Innovation / Function: Repellent liquid coating for containers (paint cans, ship hulls, etc)
✏️ Who: Adaptive Surface Technologies

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2008: 98% of all Olympic Golds are Won Using a Nature Inspired Innovation

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2008: 98% of all Olympic Golds are Won Using a Nature Inspired Innovation

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A shark, although championed for its teeth and immense bite force, might have another evolutionary ace up its sleeve. Shark skin is covered with types of scales called dermal denticles. These denticles disrupt eddie formation and create a low-pressure zone. This leading edge vortex propels the shark forward and reduces drag immensely. The now infamous and banned suits designed by Speedo & NASA for the 2008 US Olympic swimming team won 98% of all Olympic gold medals. Additionally, the denticles are also covered with microscopic ridges which make it very hard for bacteria and other germs to cling to it. This makes it an ideal candidate for self-cleaning material used in hospitals and children’s schools.

🦈 Inspired by: Sharkskin
📍 Where: USA
🩱 Innovation/function: Drag-reducing swimwear, anti-germ fabric for hospitals
✏️ Who: Speedo & NASA

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Ask Nature is a collection of biological strategies and nature-inspired innovations. Today it is the most widely used biomimicry resource and is a portal to the wisdom nature holds. AskNature is a project of the Biomimicry Institute

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Learn Biomimicry was founded as the first solely focused online organisation focused on biomimicry. The goal of Learn Biomimicry is to make biomimicry accessible, affordable and applicable.

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2013: The Shark's Paintbrush: Biomimicry and How Nature is Inspiring Innovation

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2013: The Shark's Paintbrush: Biomimicry and How Nature is Inspiring Innovation

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"The Shark’s Paintbrush reveals how nature is inspiring design to be more efficient, effective, resilient, and beautiful. In Nature’s 3.8 billion years of design experience, roughly 99% of designs that didn’t work got recalled by the Manufacturer. The 1% that survived can teach profound lessons about how things should be made, how they work, and how they fit"

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2015: Biomimicry Global and Youth Design Challenges Emerge

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2015: Biomimicry Global and Youth Design Challenges Emerge

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The first global Biomimicry Design Challenge started in 2015. Since then it has been put on ice. Today the Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge is the most popular challenge in this regard.

The Biomimicry Institute’s Youth Design Challenge (YDC) is a project-based learning experience that asks middle and high school teams to design bio-inspired ideas that can provide solutions to critical real-world problems.

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In 2012, a team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts- Amherst, led by Al Crosby and Duncan J. Irschick, unveiled a new super adhesive called Geckskin, modeled after the ability of geckos to stick to almost any surface.

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In 1989, the Shinkansen bullet train was fast. Really fast! It boasted speeds up to 270 kph but had one major problem, it made a loud boom in residential areas as it exited tunnels due to the pressure buildup as it passed through them. Luckily, Eiji Nakatsu (the lead designer) was an avid bird watcher and he came up with an ingenious solution using nature. He noticed that the kingfisher also similarly had to travel from one dimension(air) to another(water) silently and fast to catch its underwater prey and modelled the train’s front as per the beak of the kingfisher. Similarly, connectors were designed as per the silent wings of the owl and the slippery bellies of the Adélie penguin. This made the train 10% faster, use 15% less power while being quiet as a kingfisher.

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2010: Slime Mold Inspires Tokyo City Planners

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2010: Slime Mold Inspires Tokyo City Planners

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Slime moulds have existed for about a billion years and have evolved over that time to be really efficient and adaptive towards their one singular goal of feeding and surviving. So when a group of scientists in Japan placed its favourite food, oat flakes, at various locations corresponding to the major cities in Japan, this creature was able to, within a matter of 5-6 days, map out the complex rail network which took Japanese engineers years to plan and map.

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2006: The Biomimicry Institute is founded

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2006: The Biomimicry Institute is founded

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founded as a not-for-profit organisation in the United States, the Biomimicry Institute's goal is to help innovators learn from nature in order to design sustainable products, processes, and policies in response to real-world problems.

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2000’s: Cambrian Explosion of Biomimicry Begins

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2000’s: Cambrian Explosion of Biomimicry Begins

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With the combination of sustainability pressures, enabling technologies, biomimicry-focused organisations and the formalising of biomimicry as a profession - the Cambrian explosion of biomimicry begins

📸: Tapping into Nature, Terrapin Bright Green

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Founded by Janine Benyus And Dr. Dayna Baumeister,
Biomimicry 3.8 is today a world-leading bio-inspired consultancy offering biological intelligence consulting, professional training, and inspirational speaking.

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Biologist, author, innovation consultant, and self proclaimed “nature nerd.” She may not have coined the term biomimicry, but she certainly popularized it in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.

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1997: Janine Benyus publishes her book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature

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1997: Janine Benyus publishes her book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature

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Science writer Janine Benyus named and explained biomimicry, describing how all these scientists were using nature as model, measure and mentor. She provided an overarching perspective and framework for this field. This raised awareness as to the power of this practice and was a catalyst for growing this field quite rapidly.

Link to Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature

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Jay Harman and the scientists at Pax Water develop active tank mixing technology and other applications like fans which have reduced the energy required for similar outputs by about 30%.

💦 Inspired by: Pax Lily & spiral flows
📍 Where: California, USA
🎯 Innovation / Function: Efficient water and material mixing systems
✏️ Who: Jay Harman, PAX Water Technologies

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1996 - The Eastgate Centre opens in Harare, Zimbabwe. At the time, the country’s largest office and shopping complex was an architectural marvel in its use of biomimicry principles.

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The term biomimicry appeared first in 1982 in a chemistry thesis written by Connie Lange Merrill.

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Designer, educator and Systems Thinking pioneer whose designs were both resource-efficient and widely beneficial.

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A prolific cross-disciplinary inventor who derived inspiration from the close observation of nature.

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Basic Biomimicry Era
Renowned carpenter, credited with inventing the umbrella, inspired by a giant lily leaf; and the saw, inspired by a serrated vine stem.

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Bionics: the integration of biological principles into electronics and mechanical engineering and design. Coined by Jack E. Steele at the Aeronautics Division House at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.

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In the 20th century, Otto Schmitt established biomedical engineering and coined the term “biomimetics” as he invented the Schmitt trigger, inspired by the squids’ nervous system.

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In 1948, Swiss engineer George de Mestral invented Velcro after observing how burrs stuck to his dog's fur.