Vision
The Biomimicry Center (TBC) is aligned with the vision of the Global Futures Laboratory (GFL), of creating conditions for a thriving life on a healthy planet.
Mission
The primary mission of TBC is to foster regenerative design by enhancing the skillset of students and research lab outputs through biomimicry.
Approach
The two pronged approach consolidates our Learning (Education) space — which supports our ‘arroyo’ model, and grows our solutions (Research) space — our evolved ‘seeds’ model. The two prongs consolidate the network space. Learning from nature is core to the Center; even our strategy takes inspiration from nature—our metaphoric arroyo provides nourishment and rejuvenation to those that visit, while seeds carry new possibilities into neighboring ecosystems, together the arroyo and seeds create the conditions for an ecosystem to emerge, strengthening our networks.
Alignment with GFL and ASU’s Design Aspirations
TBC shares the critical vision of GFL for the future of humanity on planet Earth—a habitable blue marble where not only Homo sapiens, but all species can thrive. Biomimicry embodies at its core three essential elements: an Ethos that honors the time-tested genius of life including the strategies needed to live sustainably on this planet, a pathway to (Re)connect with nature recognizing that humans are just one of many millions of species, and a practice of Emulating nature’s strategies to develop forms, processes, and systems that will help foster our long-term, collective survival.
The operating model of TBC is what we call a “seeds and arroyo” model. Our seeds represent biomimicry tools, practices, and content that we cast across ASU and to its larger community that spreads nature’s insights throughout the schools and disciplines. In this way, seeds grow best in fertile soils and the practice of biomimicry emerges throughout the huge ecosystem of ASU. In addition, TBC serves as an “arroyo,” just like in a desert where one finds rich nutrients, high productivity, biological richness and diversity, and access to otherwise limited resources—for TBC this equates to inspiration, novel insights, hopeful energy, and collaborations. Our biomimetically remodeled Center, housed in the Novus Building, offers a model for life-inspired building design.
Learning Spaces
In 2015, TBC successfully launched the world’s first Master of Science in biomimicry as well as a graduate certificate. To date we have over 300 students and graduates primarily representing mature working professionals from all over the world. Almost 30% are international and more than 30% already have graduate degrees. These students have been trained to facilitate the practice and implementation of biomimicry across industries, disciplines, and sectors. In 2019, we launched an in-person undergraduate biomimicry certificate, to date XX students have taken the certificate. The biomimicry students both graduate and undergraduate represent a strong network and outreach arm that can help weave outputs of and opportunities with GFL into companies, NGOs and governments, among others, around the world bringing the lessons, practices, and opportunities of GFL direct to the application space.
Our learning space has successfully delivered transdisciplinary education on an online platform in a creative manner that builds bridges and enhances collaboration. We have also translated our lessons in carrying an equally successful undergraduate in-person certificate, which offers more in-person connections with nature and the ability to interact face-to-face with students from disciplines across campus. The educational model may help inform other educational models at the college of global futures. This experience builds on the collaboration between TBC and Biomimicry 3.8, which has over 20 years’ experience delivering professional training in biomimicry to thousands of people around the world.
Discovery Spaces
TBC does not have its own laboratory but rather leverages the the interdisciplinary faculty that has made ASU its home. We collaborate closely with over 60 affiliate faculty across campuses and disciplines, ranging from materials engineering, to construction, to fashion, to industrial design, to the built environment and more. Given the unique character of biomimicry research, we have the potential to open up entirely new pathways of discovery. One of the most valuable propositions of biomimicry is that it helps reveal entirely new solutions to long held challenges by stepping outside of human cleverness. Our tools and experience help inform some of the pragmatically directed research in Discovery Space. This is appealing to many funders, potential clients, and collaborators.
Our projects include Lab to Market, an accelerator that demonstrates the importance of connecting faculty and labs across disciplines on the campus as a means to generate viable solutions more highly attuned to their application context, but also helping them connect to the market. This is achieved by leveraging existing incubators and accelerators both internally to ASU such as through Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Skysong or externally through the Biomimicry Institute’s launchpad.
Looking at Nature for inspiration is not a new discipline; Indigenous communities have been immersed in nature, and learning from her for thousands of years. For this reason with our Knowledge Symbiosis program we are working with Indigenous faculty, students and communities to explore how we can weave our disciplines and worldviews together, in ways that are culturally appropriate and supportive for more Indigenous students into academia and STEM.
Lastly, The Biomimicry in Action Laboratory (BiA) brings together students and interested organizations to imagine innovative and regenerative solutions to real-world problems. Through this program, organizational partners get a chanc eto engage with students in a mutually-beneficial technical relationship. Challenges framed by the organization are addressed by teams of specially selected undergradugate and graduate students working with guidance from faculty mentors and external advisors. Giving a chance for students to explore hands-on research and organizational partners a sample of what biomimicry can offer.
Network Spaces
Both the arroyo and seeds work in tandem to create an ecosystem that is rich in networking opportunities. The Biomimicry Center has an extensive network, both on campus, collaborating with over 60 affiliate faculty across different schools, centers such as the Regional Centers of Excellence and the NatureSpace. In Arizona, we collaborate with schools, the Phoenix Zoo, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Cultural Resources Center and more. Then across the USA and in the world we collaborate with B3.8, the Biomimicry Institute both having an extensive network, spanning 20 years of work, we also collaborate with Biomimicry for Social Innovation and Learn Biomimicry.
A New American University
From the inception of the Biomimicry Center, the center’s mission were outlined in synergy with the design aspirations of ASU’s New American University.
The primary mission of the center is to enhance the ability to address a variety of sustainability challenges using methodologies inspired by natural systems; in other words, to facilitate the practice of biomimicry. In this goal, it is well aligned with the design aspirations of the new American University. All nine aspirations outlined by the university president are philosophically and fundamentally connected to the mission and vision of the center. Through research, education and outreach activities, the center will engage each of these areas.
Leverage Our Place
The fundamental goal of biomimicry is to “leverage our place” on the planet conceptually as well as tactically. Biologically inspired design learns from natural systems and from our place on the planet to inspire new sustainable solutions. And the most sustainable solutions for any place-based challenge can be inspired by the adaptations seen in the local biome. The center, in addition to supporting efforts for anyone, anywhere to leverage their local lessons, will also build on our learning from the Sonoran desert to inspire local, place-appropriate solutions for Arizona, while learning from Indigenous communities.
Transform Society
By addressing problems of sustainability, the center will attempt to “transform society” in a positive way. Biomimicry is consistently named as one of the most important directions humanity can take to address the complex societal and environmental issues we face today. Whether it be the education of the students using real-world issues and opportunities, or specifically-directed research and outreach, the activities of the center transform society by design.
Conduct Use-Inspired Research
“Use-inspired research” is central to the methodology of biomimicry, as one begins with asking the question, how would nature solve my challenge? In the process of evolution, organisms are constantly tackling problems of survival, and learning from their adaptations to drive human design is fundamental to biomimicry. Therefore the research activities will clearly be “use-inspired.”
Fuse Intellectual Disciplines
The sheer nature of biomimetic thinking requires all efforts to be interdisciplinary in nature and therefore by engaging, at a minimum, the School of Complex Adaptive Systems, the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, School of Sustainability, Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, and others, the center will “fuse intellectual disciplines.” By bringing biologists, designers, engineers, business professionals, communicators, material scientists, chemists, and other experts together, we can address the system-level opportunities and challenges sustainability demands.
Value Entrepreneurship
The practical applications of biomimicry are grounded in bringing biologically-inpired solutions to the design table. The lab to Market initiative strives to ensure that research that is biomemetic developed at ASU finds ways out to market through networks (such as the Biomimicry institute’s launch pad), accelerators and entrepreneurship.
Enable Student Success
In order to tackle the complex problems the world faces today, universities need to create graduates who, in addition to their disciplinary skills, want to devote their energy, passion, and dedication to causes that matter. The most sought after graduates are those skilled in systems-thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary team work. By engaging in biomimicry as students, graduates will hone their skills and be ready for 21st century careers.
Be Socially Embedded
ASU has demonstrated that it is deeply committed to sustainability. Some of the most critical problems our planet faces today require social engagement. The center too, through its core mission, is dedicated to the development of new solutions to tackle problems of social and environmental sustainability. While there are several biologically inspired solutions that scientists and engineers are developing all over the world, not all address problems of sustainability. Our goal is to ensure that the solutions we design and develop through the center’s activities directly address environmental and social challenges.
Engage Globally
Through the partnership with B3.8, the center will expand its reach globally, especially through the graduate certificate and Master’s in Biomimicry to be offered through ASUOnline. This is an opportunity which extends biomimicry out to the world and simultaneously brings students from around the world to ASU. These efforts will be further extended through the campus based Master’s program, certificates and minors, and eventually bachelors concentrations as well. The education, research and outreach activities will benefit students, faculty and staff and extend ASU’s global reach. There is an increasing interest in biomimicry world-wide, and we will leverage existing ASU international connections as part of this effort.
Principled Innovation
At the core of biomimicry’s ethos is “humility” one of the core values of principled innovation. The concept of advancing innovation in education to create positive change for humanity, by placing character at the core of our decisions and actions. How we embody humility, by always asking “what would nature do”, being attuned to the idea that as humans we need to quite our cleverness and be listener to our mentor mother nature. This ethos is translated in all our courses as well as when we approach our research and engagement.