BioInspired! So What? Now What!

The report is a 138MB epub file.  I am checking with Richard MacCowan on an epub reader that supports the full features of this document - I will add a comment when I hear back.

To harness the enormous potential that lies beneath this highly cross-disciplinary field, Biomimicry Innovation Lab, together with the Nadathur Group, has been conducting a year-long research project that deep dives into the holistic ecosystem of nature-inspired innovation from academic, industry and finance perspectives across the innovation pipelines from the research lab to the market. Through sampling 112,000 data points, establishing a 1500+ researcher network, interviewing 200+ academics and industry practitioners, coupling with advanced data analysis tools such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML), we’ve laid a solid foundation in understanding different perspectives, the dynamics and key actors in the field within the UK and Northern Ireland. 

DOWNLOAD REPORT

The recording and slides of the October 22 presentation by Richard MacCowan, Sriram Nadathur, and Yuning Chenp summarising their research into the ecosystem of nature-inspired innovation based on a "diverse network of over 1500 academics and 100+ research labs in the UK."  The final report will be released shortly.

Institution: University of Leeds
Dept/School/Faculty: Faculty of Biological Sciences
PhD Supervisor: Dr C Hassall
Application Deadline: Thursday, January 29, 2015
Funding Availability: Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)

This research project will seek to resolve design challenges within the built environment using knowledge derived from the whole spectrum of biological organisation. You will work in a cross-disciplinary setting, making the most of innovative biomimicry research networks through Leeds Beckett University and one of the UK’s largest Life Sciences faculties based at the University of Leeds, to provide the link between engineering, urbanism, and biology and ecology.

Biomimicry UK is as a collaborative platform to provide nature-based solutions to understand and solve the challenges we are facing in the 21st century.

What is unique to our approach?

Our goal is to enable the cross-fertilisation from industry to academia, to participate effectively in finding nature-based solutions to provide social, environmental and economic benefits whilst protecting the ecological backdrop of our planet.

We are drawing the iterative design processes found in nature (evolution) over billions of years to find innovative solutions. The focus is not just on the end result but by promoting the creative process, from initial challenge, through to the final concept.