Humans have been copying nature for millennia – but we gave that process a back seat at the start of the Industrial Revolution. Now there’s a new focus – one which offers a wealth of regenerative innovation opportunities for product, process and systems design.

Nature’s “superpower” is to create solutions at room temperature, using renewable resources and renewable energy. It’s one that a new generation of entrepreneurs has been applying to regenerative business innovation for decades.

I talked through the re-emergence of Biomimicry in this podcast episode: INSIGHT | Using BIOMIMICRY to find regenerative business opportunities

This post offers an ongoing set of stories, sources and resources on the accelerating uptake of Biomimicry-based solutions.

Key Sources

Key sources for understanding Biomimicry include:

• The foundational book: BIOMIMICRY: INNOVATION INSPIRED BY NATURE by Janine Benyus
• The book THE BLUE ECONOMY by Gunter Pauli

Biomimicry as a key strategic component of regenerative business is explored in NATURAL CAPITALISM – available online at www.natcap.org

Useful Resources

AskNature solutions library: ⁠asknature.org ⁠

Bioneers Action Hub: ⁠bioneers.org ⁠

Biomimicry Toolbox:  ⁠https://toolbox.biomimicry.org/methods/define/⁠

An article documenting the trillion dollar opportunities of Biomimicry: ⁠https://infomineo.com/sustainable-development/bioinspired-innovation-harnessing-natures-wisdom/⁠

A list of various mycellium (mushroom) products: ⁠https://myceliuminspired.com/products⁠

The Blue Economy catalogue of 100+ biomimetic solutions ready to scale commercially: TheBlueEconomy.org

The ThinkActRegenerate INSIGHTS podcast episode: ⁠https://thinkactregenerate.com/INSIGHTS/⁠

Stories and examples

Bardee is a Melbourne startup using Black Soldier Fly larvae to process food waste into stock feed, pet food and fertilizers: ⁠https://www.bardee.com/collections/all⁠

Fungi Solutions is a Melbourne startup producing packaging from mushroom roots grown on agricultural waste:⁠ https://www.fungisolutions.com.au/⁠

Regenerative business pioneers Interface have been industrial biomimicry pioneers, including:

• Designing carpet tiles based on the patterns of a forest floor, so that they can be installed in any direction and still look good.
• Developing an installation technology based on how gekko feet work so their carpet tiles can be installed without toxic VOC glues.
• Working to develop their capability to build Factories as Forest – delivering the same ecosystem services that mature forests do (from water capture and filtration to habitat creation): ⁠https://trellis.net/article/inside-interfaces-bold-new-mission-achieve-climate-take-back/⁠

Kalundborg Symbiosis Industrial Estate has been developed around the input and output needs of the businesses in estate – circulating material and energy resources locally. ⁠https://www.symbiosis.dk/en/⁠

Samsara is an Australian startup commercialising enzymatic plastic recycling processes that turn complex chemical hybrids back into virgin-equivalent input materials: ⁠https://www.samsaraeco.com/⁠

SugarCrete has developed technology to replace a lot of lime-based concrete applications with sugar cane processing waste: ⁠https://www.newcivilengineer.com/innovative-thinking/researchers-transform-sugarcane-by-product-into-slabs-and-bricks-22-03-2024/⁠

Zeoform is an Australian business that uses water, plant fibre and vibration to make a range of materials and products, replacing forest-based products like particle-board and kitchen counters: ⁠https://zeoform.com/zeoboard⁠