Dear readers, it has been a while since we last posted on our blog. The reason is simple – the authors have been pursuing careers not necessarily related to biomimetics, and along with regular family life, the motivation to constantly provide content dwindled over time. However, the desire to continue writing persisted, waiting for the right moment. And that moment is now!
In the upcoming posts, I would like to share updates about activities in the field of biomimetics that I am personally involved in.
The demand for biomimetics has recently increased, at least in Austria, where I live. In the years leading up to the pandemic, our efforts to promote biomimetics in local communities received little attention. During and shortly after the pandemic, activities came to a halt as resources were directed towards sustaining businesses. Investing in personnel training or developing new products in biomimetics was understandably not a priority. Despite this, we did not give up. We used this time to develop ideas, establish an organizational framework, and prepare content for the future. Now, I can confirm that there is a dynamic resurgence, not only in the educational system but also in industry and municipalities.
Bionikum: Alpen-Adria is a scientific association based in Villach, with over 10 years of existence. After the closure of the Master’s program in Biomimetics in Energy Systems in the same city, the association continued its mission to popularize biomimetics among the general population and integrate it into the national education program, future technology development, and sustainability efforts. As an active member of this association, I am excited to share our achievements and ongoing activities.
One of our key initiatives is the school project B.A.U.M. (Baum means “tree” in German), which uses trees and forests as role models. This project involves local primary and middle schools, as well as a technical upper-level secondary school. Over a period of two years, participating classes learn about forest ecology, circular economy, biomimetics, sustainable entrepreneurship, and more through workshops and excursions. More details about the project will be provided in a separate post.
One of the workshops in the B.A.U.M. project
As mentioned earlier, the industry is increasingly embracing biomimetics as an innovation method, with significant interest from the energy sector. Bionikum: Alpen-Adria had the opportunity to participate as a guest lecturer at the 40th anniversary celebration of the „Association of the Austrian Boiler and Heating Industry (VÖK)“ at Mondsee in September 2023. We presented the potential of energy biomimetics for future technologies. This article (in German) summarizes the event and highlights key ideas we shared:
- Renewable energy can only be truly sustainable when resource use is considered, and energy consumption cycles are closed by reintroducing emitted CO2 into living nature.
- Utilizing nature as a partner for energy conversion, such as using stored solar energy in organic waste.
- Adding functions to housing elements, like windows and facades that produce or store energy.
We were positively surprised by the feedback received. Representatives from participating companies (here are the members of VÖK) immediately recognized the big picture of the current energy sector situation and enthusiastically confirmed that this is the way forward. While it is a long journey and won’t happen overnight, it is encouraging to see how a simple talk about nature’s functions can trigger “aha moments” and plant seeds of thought that may one day grow into reality.
Stay tuned for more updates on our activities. Until then, enjoy the summer days!
Anja
