Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    DESIGN CHALLENGES AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS:YOUTH DESIGN CHALLENGETHE BIOMIMICRY YOUTH DESIGN CHALLENGE (YDC) PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO LEARN STEM AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE USING BIOMIMICRY AND A PROJECT-BASED EXPERIENCE. THROUGH 25 LESSON ACTIVITIES, THE CURRICULUM AND DESIGN CHALLENGE ALLOWS STUDENTS TO AUTHENTICALLY CONNECT BIOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SOLUTIONS TO TODAY'S CHALLENGES.IN 2020, 479 EDUCATORS FROM 34 STATES REGISTERED TO ACCESS TEACHING MATERIALS (A 59% INCREASE OVER 2019). THE EDUCATORS REPRESENTED 23,558 STUDENTS. OUR PROGRAM EVALUATION FOUND THAT 78% OR MORE OF STUDENTS REPORTED THAT THE YDC HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON UNDERSTANDING OF BIOMIMICRY, UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE CONCEPTS, KNOWING HOW TO SOLVE PROBLEMS, IDENTIFYING DESIGN PROBLEMS AND THINKING CRITICALLY. BIOMIMICRY GLOBAL DESIGN CHALLENGETHE BIOMIMICRY GLOBAL DESIGN CHALLENGE PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TO GAIN HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE WITH BIOMIMICRY-TO DO DESIGN, NOT JUST STUDY IT. THROUGH FREE RESOURCES SUCH AS THE BIOMIMICRY TOOLBOX, WEBINARS, DESIGN BRIEFS, AND MENTORSHIP, TEAMS LEARN AND PRACTICE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOMIMICRY AND CREATE BIO-INSPIRED SOLUTIONS ALIGNED WITH NATURE AND THE UN'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. FINALIST TEAMS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD.IN 2020, THE CHALLENGE EXPLICITLY ASKED PARTICIPANTS TO ADDRESS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: END HUNGER, ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY AND IMPROVED NUTRITION AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. ENSURE AVAILABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION FOR ALL. ENSURE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE, SUSTAINABLE AND MODERN ENERGY FOR ALL. BUILD RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROMOTE INCLUSIVE SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIALIZATION. MAKE CITIES AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS INCLUSIVE, SAFE, RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE. CONSERVE AND SUSTAINABLY USE THE OCEANS, SEAS, AND MARINE RESOURCES. PROTECT, RESTORE, AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE USE OF TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS, SUSTAINABLY MANAGE FORESTS, COMBAT DESERTIFICATION, HALT AND REVERSE LAND DEGRADATION, AND HALT BIODIVERSITY LOSS.OVERALL, 106 TEAMS SUBMITTED PROJECTS TO THE CHALLENGE, WITH 427 PARTICIPANTS FROM 17 COUNTRIES.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $542.5K

  • Program 2 [2020]

    ASKNATURE AND ASKNATURE SOLUTIONS RESEARCH:ASKNATUREAS THE LARGEST OPEN-ACCESS DATABASE FOR INNOVATORS TO FIND BIOLOGICAL MODELS FOR DESIGN GUIDANCE, ASKNATURE IS MISSION-CRITICAL FOR OUR WORK. STUDENTS USE ASKNATURE WHEN THEY FIRST LEARN DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SKILLS IN OUR PROGRAMS AND CONTINUE TO USE IT AS THEY ADVANCE THROUGH UNIVERSITY AND BECOME INNOVATORS. OUR AIM IS TO HAVE NATURE-INSPIRED DESIGN BECOME STANDARD PRACTICE, WITH ASKNATURE AS A PRIMARY TOOL. WE CURRENTLY HAVE NEARLY 2,000 ARTICLES DESCRIBING BIOLOGICAL STRATEGIES (A CHARACTERISTIC, MECHANISM, OR PROCESS THAT PERFORMS A FUNCTION FOR AN ORGANISM OR OTHER TYPE OF LIVING SYSTEM) AND INSPIRED IDEAS (STORIES BEHIND REALIZED AND CONCEPTUAL PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND SYSTEM COMPONENTS THAT ARE INSPIRED BY BIOLOGY), ALONG WITH OVER 230 INDEXED RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS OF BIOMIMICRY. ASKNATURE IS THE WORLD'S MOST CONCENTRATED, ONLY FREE SOURCE OF BIOMIMICRY EDUCATION RESOURCES FOR PRIMARY, SECONDARY, POST-SECONDARY, AND PROFESSIONAL AUDIENCES AND WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE FUNCTIONALITY AND ADD CONTENT TO THIS SERVICE ON A WEEKLY BASIS.IN 2020, APPROXIMATELY 638,000 PEOPLE VISITED THE SITE FOR 876,000 SESSIONS AND ACCESSED FREE RESOURCES AND CONTENT (IN 2019 THERE WERE 523,000 VISITORS OVER 711,000 SESSIONS). OUR USERS COME FROM 224 COUNTRIES AND A WIDE VARIETY OF SECTORS INCLUDING EDUCATION, ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN, ENGINEERING, BIOTECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, LAND USE, HEALTH, TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY, FASHION, GOVERNMENT, NON-PROFITS, AND MEDIA.ASKNATURE SOLUTIONS RESEARCHTHE BIOMIMICRY INSTITUTE ALSO PROVIDES RESEARCH AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP ON LARGER QUESTIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND SYSTEMS CHANGE. PROJECTS IN 2020 FOCUSED ON FASHION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, INCLUDING RELEASE OF THE NATURE OF FASHION: MOVING TOWARDS A REGENERATIVE SYSTEM, A REPORT THAT OFFERS RECOMMENDATIONS TO INVESTORS AND INDUSTRY THAT WILL ENABLE A NEW FASHION ECOSYSTEM TO THRIVE AND FLOURISH WITHIN OUR PLANETARY BOUNDARIES. WE ALSO BEGAN WORK ON A LARGER PROPOSAL SEEKING FUNDING TO CONDUCT PILOT PROJECTS AROUND TEXTILE DECOMPOSITION IN 2021.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $430K

  • Program 3 [2020]

    ENTREPRENEURSHIP:LAUNCHPADBIOMIMICRY GLOBAL DESIGN FINALISTS ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD, WHERE THEY CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THEIR DESIGNS AND BUSINESS MODELS. THE PROGRAM ACCELERATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOMIMICRY STARTUP INNOVATIONS AND HELPS SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF SUSTAINABILITY ENTREPRENEURS.IN 2020, THE BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD HAD A COHORT OF 10 TEAMS, WITH 47 PARTICIPANTS FROM 13 COUNTRIES. THE 2020 LAUNCHPAD WAS COMPRISED OF A 10-WEEK VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT COMBINED THE THREE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF BIOMIMICRY WITH STARTUP BASICS TRAINING. TEAMS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND SECTORS TACKLED A RANGE OF ISSUES, FROM AIR, WATER, AND NOISE POLLUTION TO FOSTERING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND FOOD SYSTEMS. ALL OF THE TEAMS ADDRESSED ONE OR MORE OF THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) IN THEIR PURSUIT OF CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE. THEY VALUED LEARNING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS SUCH AS CUSTOMER DISCOVERY, TESTING ASSUMPTIONS, DEVELOPING VALUE PROPOSITIONS, AND HOW TO BUILD A STRONG AND DIVERSE TEAM. IN ADDITION, THIS YEAR'S PARTICIPANTS LEARNED HOW TO APPLY BIOMIMICRY'S SUSTAINABILITY ETHOS TO ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR PROJECT. DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, TEAMS FOUND CREATIVE WAYS TO EXPERIENCE NATURE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. RAY OF HOPE PRIZETHE RAY OF HOPE PRIZE CELEBRATES AND ACCELERATES NATURE-INSPIRED SOLUTIONS ADDRESSING THE WORLD'S ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES. THIS $100,000 PRIZE SPARKS THE NEXT GENERATION OF BUSINESSES THAT WILL LEAD US TO A CIRCULAR AND REGENERATIVE FUTURE. THE 2020 AWARD RECIPIENT WAS ECONCRETE TECH, FROM TEL AVIV, ISRAEL. THEY CREATE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE MARINE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT PROTECTS HUMAN COASTLINES WHILE SUPPORTING HEALTHY MARINE HABITATS. CYPRIS MATERIALS TOOK HOME THE $25,000 RUNNER-UP PRIZE. IN TOTAL, NINE STARTUPS (SELECTED FROM 190 APPLICANTS) PARTICIPATED IN THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM, WITH THE OTHER COMPANIES LOCATED IN TURKEY, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, MASSACHUSETTS, AND CALIFORNIA. DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SCHEDULED IN-PERSON TRIPS WERE CANCELED AND REPLACED BY HIGH-QUALITY VIDEO PRODUCTION ABOUT EACH OF THE PARTICIPATING STARTUPS' TECHNOLOGY, AND HOW IT WAS INSPIRED BY NATURE. THE AWARD CEREMONY WAS HELD VIRTUALLY AT GREENBIZ'S CIRCULARITY CONFERENCE.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $376.1K