The biomimicySA team includes a number of leaders in the field of innovation in South Africa. Biomimicry is innovation inspired by nature – not only specific technologies but a process of innovation itself inspired by nature. 3.8 billion years of R&D doesn’t only provide innovative solutions but an innovation learning curve that’s hard to beat. Our biomimicrySA team and/or network of international and local expertise offers the following innovation services for any business or organisation in any field:

Inspiration

Book one of our team for an inspiring and practical introductory presentation highlighting the opportunities for innovation inspired by nature including relevant case studies and an outline of the biomimicry approach specifically suited to your organisation.

InnovationWorkshops

Learn biomimicry together as an internal team together with our innovation team and use the biomimicry approach to solve a specific design challenge related to your company/product/ sustainability, etc. These can be in your backyard or at an expedition site of your choice and range from 1day to 1week-long sessions in your backyard or at inspiring expedition site. There is also the choice of a learning journey of a series of workshops over time, building your teams biomimicry capabilities and working with our team towards innovative solutions.

BiomimicryBrainstorms

Together with your in-house team, we can help brainstorm and research biological strategies relevant to specific design challenge(s) and facilitate the biomimicry design process in your organisation.

Scoping

We can help you realise existing and future biomimicry opportunities for your organisations through a customised scoping review of biomimetic products and processes, current and in development, relevant to your organisation or industry. 

DeepResearch

A comprehensive survey of nature’s strategies including a summary of solution sets relevant to your specific challenge(s). The report also includes more detail on the most promising strategy and a development plan for implementation.

GeniusOfPlace

For site-specific design challenges, particularly in the built environment, a Genius of Place offering brings an understanding of the pre-tested, locally attuned strategies adopted by the local organisms specific to a specific design challenge.

LifesPrinciples

Life’s Principles outline strategies for thriving under the operating conditions on Earth. By incorporating these principles into an organisation’s design methodologies and system strategies, the resulting integrated strategies are inherently sustainable because they follow the same principles that allow life to thrive. Any of the above options can include a life’s principles review (e.g. workshop on Life’s Principles alone or integrated into a learning journey, and/or relevant life’s principles review for a specific challenge/research report).

 

Clients

Our team has integrated biomimicry innovation into projects with the following organisations to date:

  • TEDx (the TEDx Cape Town & TEDxCityBowl & TEDxMfuleni bioteam integrates biomimicry into their creative strategies and specific themes)
  • Google Umbono Program (the project manager for this program that jumpstarts innovation is also on the biomimicrySA team)
  • Enternships (the team behind this integrates life’s principles into the design of this innovative initiative)
  • CSIR (Department of Defense research on biomimicry opportunities relating to water, energy & materials)
  • City of Cape Town (key members of our team have worked on projects related to innovative transport solutions, urban design and environmental education based on biomimicry)
  • Water Research Commission (deep research into biomimicry opportunities for cleaning water)
  • Aqua d’UCT ecosystem of research around water (nature-based deep systems innovative research around water challenges in South Africa)
  • Alan Gray green building innovation (biomimicry inspiration for the team designing the new Alan Gray offices at the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town)
  • Innovation Summit (biomimicrySA introduced biomimicry as an innovation approach at this national summit)
Contact us if you’d like to find out more about any of these products or services.