[MallorcaConference2015–EBA] 1

BiomimicryPractitionersConference

6-9November,2015,Mallorca

The aim of the Biomimicry Practitioners Conferencewas to bring togetherand deepen the connections between active biomimicry practitioners andeducators across Europe. We wanted to enrich each other and reinforcebiomimicry connectionsandcollaborationsbetweendifferentEUcountries.Weachievedthisaimwithflyingcoloursandeveryonehadaverynourishingandinspiringtime!

Weinvitedmembersof theEBAandmembersof thedifferentnationalnetworks,aswellas,awidercircleof“biomimics”toensureacreativediversityforourgathering.Intheend,wewere40peoplefrom10differentEUcountries,amongthembiologists,engineers,designers,aswellas,permaculturists,socialscientists,economists,activistsandphilosophers.

The format chosen was to alternate participants’ presentations on their practice, focusedconversations around shared themes, with outdoors exercises in our beautiful mountainsurroundings. We all shared the tasks of facilitation throughout. In addition to participantpresentationsandexercises(miniworkshops),wealso invited localexpertstotellusabouttheuniqueMediterraneanmountainecosystemwewereinandliterallytoshowusthestars.

MonasteryofLluc

LocatedintheheartoftheTramuntanamountainsonMallorca,‘ElSantuariodeLluc’isatranquilplacefororganizingexcursionsandorworkshopsinthemiddleofanaturalenvironment.

LocatedattheheartoftheTramuntanamountainsonMallorca,‘ElSantuariodeLluc’isatranquilleplacefororganizingexcursionsandorworkshopsinthemiddleofanaturalenvironment.

[MallorcaConference2015–EBA] 3

Friday6thNovemberEuropeanBiomimicryAllianceDayThedaywasreservedforEBAinternalmeetingtodiscussstrategyandorganizationalmatters.About20EBAmemberstookthisopportunitytogatherandorganizethenetwork:

• get updates from national networks andspeakaboutpotentialsynergies

• defineorganizationalneeds• agreeonprioritiesfornextstepsAlteranopeningdinner,allparticipantsoftheconference gathered around a localastronomer to watch the stars and travelthroughspace-timeintheMilkyWay.

Saturday7thNovember–ConferencedayFirstsession:Systems,Tools,Materials&Processes

This first session emphasized the multiplicity ofexisting biomimicry tools andprocesses for analysis,highlighted existing models for synthesis. We alsoexplored a concrete tools kit to facilitate effectivecomprehension and communication of thebiomimicryapproachinabusinessenvironment.

We created an ‘Open Space Café’ format thatenabled focused conversations around core themestodigestthepresentationsandmove ideasforward.These creative sessions were highly animated,facilitated by the participants themselves, andconductedoutside.

The afternoon started with an exercise on ethos.Participants were invited to reflect on their ownattitudetowardsnatureandplacethemselvesalongaspectrumofperspectives.Wethenexploredtowhatextend we can bring this personal connection tonatureintoourdailywork.

TalksinSessionOne:Systems,Tools,Materials&Processes

AlessandroBiancardi:TheBiomimicryGlobalDesignChallenge:resultsandopportunities

Within the global food system our team identified the elements we consider critical to beaddressed and the leverage points on which we would like to intervene so as to influence thesystemand shift it,possiblywithminimumeffort, towards amore stable/sustainable equilibrium.Wefocusedourattentiononthefollowingthreefactors influencingtheglobalfoodsystem:waterscarcity, land degradation and increasing population in seawater coastal areas. Consequently wedefine our initial challenge: how to produce fresh water at low cost in arid /semi arid seawatercoastalareassoastofacilitatereducinglanddegradation/regeneratinglandproductivity.Wetook

theSolarStill,thesimplestdesalinationtechnology,andwereviewitagainstnatureprinciplestoimproveit.

BIO:AlessandroisCo-founderofPlanet,CertifiedBiomimicryProfessional,EducationandProductInnovationadvisor.He is responsible for the scientific coordination, activities identification and coordination of a team of experts inapplyingbiomimicry.Heisanenvironmentalengineer,lecturerandfacilitatorandhasbeenworkingfortheEuropeanCommission,theUNDP,consultingcompaniesandNGOsSebastiaandeNeubourg:Apedagogicalbiomimicrytoolforcompaniesinspireddesignprocess

TheResilienceDesignToolkit is apracticalworkshop tool that integratesbiomimicryand resiliencethinkingtodesignbetterbusinessmodelsthatcreatewin-winsolutionsforall.ThistoolistheresultoftheEuropeanInterregIVBprojectResilieNtWEB,initiatedbyGreenloop.BIO:SebastiaanwasworkingonGreenloopaconsultingcompanyinBrussels.Hehasabackgroundinmechanical engineering and a master’s in business management. He uses resilience thinking andbiomimicry to co-develop scalable new opportunities and believes that creative entrepreneurship

andbiomimicryhaveakeyroletoplayinsolvingmostpressingsocialandenvironmentalproblems.PierreEmmanuelFayemi:Modelinglivingsystems

Mobilizing cross-disciplinary and/or highly specialized biologists is a complex task and tools have beendeveloped to address this specificity of the biomimetic approaches. However, the selection of biologicalmodel(s)ofinspirationdoesnotappeartohaveyetbeentackled.Thetalkaimsatproposingawaytodefineabenefit/effort ratio forconsideredbiology to technologyanalogies.This shouldallowdesigners tosort theseanalogiesontheirown,leadingtofacilitationoftheglobalbiomimeticprocess.

BIO: Pierre-Emmanuel Fayemi is an innovative consultant for AIM-Innovation. He acts together with AIM.’sclients on the implementation of inventive methods applied to Intellectual Property (IP) and technology forecasting, eco-design/eco-innovationandprojectmanagement.Pierre-EmmanuelisalsoaPhDstudentatArts&MetiersParistech,investigatingtheBiologicallyInspiredDesigntopic.

KristinaWanieckandPierreEmmanuelFayemi:Biomimetics,fromtheorytopracticeBiomimicry has shown huge potential for innovation, yet challenges remain within itsimplementation. This talk aims at clarifying the concept of biomimetics from its theoreticalunderstanding to itspracticaluse.Aunifiedproblem-drivenprocessofbiomimetics,which canbeusedforproblem-solvingactivity,isthereforepresented.Thetalkpresentsautilitytreewhichguidesusersthroughtheprocessbychoosingrespectivetoolsaccordingtotheirownexpertise.

BIO:KristinaWanieckholdsadiplomainbiologyfromtheKarlsruheInstituteofTechnology(KIT),Germany,andhasabackgroundinfundamentalresearchingeneticsandmolecularbiologyofplants.Since2009,Kristinaisworkinginthefield of Biomimetics at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology (DIT). In cooperation with the TU Munich, she iscurrentlyworkingonherPhD,dealingwiththeefficientprocessofbiomimeticsforinnovationinSME.

[MallorcaConference2015–EBA] 5

Secondsession:PracticesofBiomimicry.

Participants were given the opportunity to present specificbiomimicry based design, engineering and education projectstheywere involvedwith.Weheardaboutamasters indesignand innovation that is including biomimicry into its coreprogram.Weexploredhowbiomimicrymayhelpustodesignmoreeffectivecarbonsequestrationstrategiesandprocesses.We were given a detailed product development story of abiomimetic kettle from the perspective of the designer. And,wehadachancetomarvelathowspinachleafextractandtheproperties of chlorophyll were offering pathways to arevolution in production processes in the micro-electronicsindustry.Another‘OpenSpaceCafé’-sessionfollowed,whichgaveparticipantsanopportunitytodeepen

theirdiscussionsanddigestthediverseinspirationsoftheafternoon.DanielleDavelaarofferedathought-provokingreflectiononhowcentralthe‘biomimicryethos’-of“LifeCreatesConditionsConduciveToLife”–shouldbemoreexplicitlyembeddedinourpracticeofandcommunicationaboutbiomimicry. She facilitateda shortexercise sowecould reflectonourownpractice.Weendedaveryrichandinspiringdaywithagatheringaroundabigcamp-fireintheforest.

TalksinSessionTwo:PracticesofBiomimicryManuelQuirós:Challengesandopportunitiesinadesignschool.Preliminaryresults

Preliminary results of 3 years of biomimicry teaching at a Design School in Madrid to first yearstudentswerepresented.A32hourcoursewithsessionsinclassandoutdoorsenhancethepotentialto increase the solutions field from the design perspective. Problem-solving and design systemicthinkingfrombiomimesisrepresentsamulti-disciplinaryapproachtoenrichexperiencesatthisearlyphasesineducation.BIO: BSc,MSc,PhD biologist, environmentalist, freelance teacher in Education for Sustainability and

Biomimicry at IEDMadrid. Collaborator professor at UNED, Co-founder of Biomimicry Iberia, collaborator editor ofawarded Zygote Quarterly Journal and biomimicry speaker in different platforms. Recently included in the RedIberoamericana de biomimesis an emerging network of several universities to spread biomimicry within Spanishspeakingcommunities.Caroline.Zaoui:TeachingsfromtheCO2SolStockproject

Funded by the European Commission's 7th framework programme, the CO2SolStock R&D projectaimed at developing industrial prototypes for carbon sequestration. The bio-inspired core processused relied on the biomineralisation capacity of microbes to transform & trap carbon waste intocarbonatedrock,suchaslimestone.Thetalkfocusedontheproject’sfindings,hurdlesanddrawbacksencountered,aswellasontheissueofbuildingaproperbusinessmodel&valuepropositionforbio-inspiredrestorativetechnologies.

BIO:CarolineZaouiisco-founderofthestart-upNovobiomandthenon-profitorganizationBiomimicryBE.SheisalsoavisitingresearcheratUniversitécatholiquedeLouvain (Belgium),andabiomimicry lectureratCEEBIOS(France).Sheholds a PhD degree in microbiology from the HanoverMedical School (Germany). She is currently working on thedevelopmentofabio-inspiredsoilremediationtechnology.MichkaMelo:MakingeverydayproductsmoresustainablewithBiomimicry

Ipresentedadesignmethodwhichcanbeusedtore-designanyconsumerproducttomakeitmoresustainablethroughbio-inspiredfeatures.Werelatedourexperienceregardingtheapplicationofthismethod to an electric kettle, leading to the design ofNautile, a bio-inspired sustainable kettle.Wesharedthechallengeswefacedduringthisproject,andsomebroaderquestionsregardingbiomimicrypracticeandimpact."BIO: Michka Mélohas worked with biomimicry since 2010. After a couple of projects around

biorobotics&artificialorgans,heco-designedthebio-inspiredsustainablekettle"Nautile"withtheindustrialdesignerGuillianGravesin2012.Sincethen,hehasworkedinurbanagriculture,DIYbiology,biofabrication,andartificialclosedecosystems.HewastheleadauthorofaBiomimicryGuideforEntrepreneurs." MarcDemulliez:Anatureinspiredmanufacturingprocess:theuseofchlorophylltohelpgrowingmetalontononconductivesurfaces

The talk presented the research carried out on the use of chlorophyll in helping the reduction ofmetal ionsembedded insideplastic substratessuchaspolyamide.Theuseof these lightharvestingcomplexes allowed substantial reduction of the exposure time to light of the substrate in order toachievemetal patterns for themicroelectronic industry.The research indicates another use of thisartificialphotosynthesismechanismbesidethatusedfortheoperationofphotovoltaiccells.BIO:MarcDesmulliezisthecurrentDirector/FounderoftheNatureInspiredmanufacturingCentreat

Heriot-WattUniversityinEdinburgh,Scotland.TheCentreaimstoimplementbiologicalprocessesintomanufacturingprinciplestohelpreducingmaterialswastage,increaseefficiencyandsustainability.MarchasseveraldegreesincludingaPhdinoptoelectronics.Heiscurrentlyspinningouthissecondcompanyrelatedtomicrowavesensing.

[MallorcaConference2015–EBA] 7

Thisthirdsessionexploredwhatwemightlearnformsystemicbiomimicryanditsapplicationtoindustrial production and circular economies.We heard examples of how biomimicry isinspiring the redesign of production processesandwaste streamutilizationand recycling inamayor industrial company. We explore a casestudy of local production for regionalconsumption,usingwastestreamsonMallorcatocreatedetergentsforthetourismsector.Weexploredtheroleofopensourceinthegrowingfield of biomimetic innovation. And, we wereinvited to reflect on the ethical basis of ourbiomimicrypractice.

Earlymorningmartialartsession.

Sunday8thNovember–ConferencedayThirdsession:SystemsAndCircularEconomy

To understand the power of systemic effects, everybody was then invited to participate tosocialsystemgames

ThirdsessiontalksonCirculareconomyTheresaMillard:Frommetaphortometrics:whatcanaforesttellusaboutrunningafactory?

Overview of the Kohler Company Innovation for Good Waste Lab - How can nature’s successfulecosystem models inspire and change corporate perceptions of tackling the seemingly unsolvablebusinessproblemoffactorywaste?TheKohlerteamistacklingbothtechnicalandcultural issuesastheywork to create financially viable products and services,while redefining thenatureofwhat isvalueforacorporation.BIO: TheresaMillard lives in twoworlds–onewithin theglobalemergingBiomimicrynetworkand

withinthecorporateworldofKohlerCompanywheresheisfocusedhowwemightdesignandmanufactureproductsdifferently.Anartistby formaleducation,born in theUK,andhaving lived in theUSAextensively, she livesnow inSpain.SheisaCertifiedBiomimicryProfessional.DanielWahl:Learningfromecosystems:regenerativedesignforregional,circularbio-economies

Thetalkexploredwhatwecanlearnfromecosystemsaboutmultipleinterlockingcyclesatarangeofscalesandspeedsmaintainingthevitality,adaptabilityandresilience.Howcanwesustainablyincreaseregionalbio-productivityofbothfoodandbio-materialsandusedorganicwastestreamsasabasisforregional production for regional consumption? One specific case study focused on Mallorca as atestfieldforinnovationincircularbio-economieswasexploredinmoredetail.BIO: Daniel Christian Wahl is an international consultant and educator. Trained as a biologist and

zoologistat theUniversityofEdinburghandtheUniversityofCalifornia,DanielgainedaMasters inHolisticScienceand a PhD on Design for Human and Planetary Health. He works with Gaia Education, the International FuturesForum,Bioneers,andvariousuniversitiesandisaconsultanttoprivateorpublicsector.CodrinKruijne:Exploringopensourcecollaborationongenericthemes

Biomimicry is promoted as a promising method to enable innovation of sustainable products,processesandsystems.WorkingOpenSourcehasbroughthumanityhighquality,affordablesoftwareand increasingly hardware. Learning from the Open Source movement this talk explored how wecould jointly define generic research themes and collaborate on making biological informationaccessible to address humanity's challenges by facilitating knowledge generation and collaborationrequiredforbiomimicry.

BIO: Codrin Kruijne is has a background in information science, entrepreneurship and innovation. He is a certifiedBiomimicrySpecialistandcurrentlydevelopingeducationforthenewmasterprogramBio-InspiredInnovationattheBiology Department, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University. He is also board member of biomimicryNL, creatingawarenessofthevaluepotentialofbiomimicryandfacilitatesitsadoptionthroughworkshopsandconsulting.DanielleDalevaar,BiomimicryPractice:UnderstandingandOvercomingaCommonPitfall

ThetalkpresentBiomimicryasatwofacesapproachtoday.Pragmaticbiomimicryischaracterizedbysystems thinking and holistic conceptualization. It is conforming to classical objective scientifictradition and ismature enough to gomainstream.Culturally transformativebiomimicryhas amuchbroader holistic outlook and couples domains of knowledge as far apart as philosophy, science,religionand spirituality. It requiresa subjective,participativeeffortof the individualpractitioner, isdisruptiveandbreakswithtraditionalviewsofnature.

BIO:Danielle isaWaterandSustainabilityProfessional,CertifiedBiomimicrySpecialistandBiomimicryNetherlandsTeamMember.Shehasbeenworkingasaresearcherandadvisortacklingmultidisciplinarysustainabilitychallengesandconnectingfieldslikephilosophy,ecology,managementandtechnology.

[MallorcaConference2015–EBA] 9

Fourthsession:SystemsandtheCityThislastsessionwastheopportunitytofocusoncitiesandsystemsinsidecities.Wewereofferedapresentationonthephilosophicalcontextofbiomimicrythinkingandpractice.WeheardaboutabiomimeticfoodsystemsprojectintheheartofadeprivedareaofManchester,andaboutshitakemushroomgrowingoncoffeewastestreamsmadeeasyinBelgium.Wealsowereintroducedtoafundamentalrethinkofurbanmobilityforthe21stCentury,baseonthewayneuronscommunicateandtransportvesiclesalongfilaments.We experienced self-organization, order emerging out of chaos, and the dynamics of complexsystems, in an expertly facilitated mini-workshop session, and also treated ourselves to anextendedwalk in thebeautifulsurroundingsof theSantuariodeLlucguidedbythedirectorofalocal nature reserve, who offered us a potted history of the geology, ecology, and bio-culturalhistoryoftheTramunatanaMountains.

HikeintheTramatunamountainswithnaturalparcdirector

FoursessiontaksonSystemandtheCity

HenryDicks:ThePhilosophybehindBiomimicry

ContrastingthephilosophyofbiomimicrywiththatofEnlightenmenthumanism,Henrywantedtoshow how these philosophies give rise to radically different conceptions of the polis: whereasEnlightenmenthumanismleadstoan“anthropomimetic”viewofthepolisasan“artificialman”or“bodypolitic”,biomimicryproposesaviewofthepolisasan“artificialforest”.Hethenconsideredtheimportanceofintegratinghumanbeingsintothismodelforest–viathenotionofthe“clearing”–thusavoidingthedangersofbothecocentrismandecofascism.

BIO: Henry Dicks is a postdoctoral researcher in philosophy at the Institute of Philosophical Research at theUniversity of Lyon. Amember of the research project, “The Biomimetic City: Theory, Risks, Applications”, of theLabEx IMU (Intelligence des Mondes Urbains), his current research focuses on the anthropological, political,historical,andphilosophicaldimensionsoftheemergingparadigmofthe“biomimeticcity”.ArndtPechstein:UrbanMobilityReloaded:DesigningourFutureCitieswithBiomimicry

Whatcanwelearnfromtransportprocessesinourbrainstoradicallyrethinkurbanmobility?ExplainingthedesignstepsandoutcomeofhisworkwithintheAudiUrbanFutureInitiative,ArndtshowedhowtheBiomimicrymethodwasappliedtoinspireanewdirectionofmobilityinthecityofthefuture. Insteadof incrementally fixingmediocreexistingsolutionsthetalkrevealedhowacreativerethinkcombinesdisruptiveinnovation,user-centeredness,andsustainability.BIO: Dr. Arndt Pechstein is innovation consultant and strategy coachwith focus on Biomimicry,

Systems, and Design Thinking. He serves as innovation & strategy advisor to leading national and internationalcompanies,universities,andgovernments.ArndtisfoundingpartneroftheBerlin-basedinnovationagencyphi360and founder & director of the Biomimicry Germany Think-Tank. Arndt holds a PhD degree in Neuroscience &BiochemistryandadiplomainBiotechnology.StephanHoornaert:Citieslikeforests:fromcoffeewasterecyclingtosustainability

FromFukushima toBelgiumStephan explainedhis parcours andwhat brought him todevelop different initiatives involving biomimicry approach. In Liege he developed acoffeewasterecyclingsystemtogrowdifferenttypesofcomestiblemushrooms.BIO: Stephan is a consultant in Biomimicry and is research assistant at University deLiegeinBelgium.HehasbeenworkingfordifferentorganizationssuchasISOandisveryactiveinLiegetofosterbiomimicryinitiativesamongdifferentsnetworks.

VincentWalsh:Popgoesthebiosphere

WithhisFoundation,Vincentwanttorethinkthecity:thewayweseeitandthewayweconsume,shop,moveorinteract.InhistalksheshowedusachievementsmadebyBiosphericFoundation.

BIO:VincentisDirectoroftheBiosphericFoundationinManchester.Heisapractitioner-researcher working on the Greater Manchester Local Interaction Platform for Mistra

UrbanFuturestomakeManchesterandcitiesingeneralbelivelyandsustainableenvironments.

[MallorcaConference2015–EBA]11

Monday8thNovemberDayWithLocalStakeholdersOnMondaymorningadelegationof12participantsoftheBiomimicryPractitionersConferencevisited the Universidad de Las Islas Balears (UIB), where local conference co-organizer DanielWahlhadarrangedameetingwithresearchersinagronomy,agricultureandecology,aswellas,withrepresentativesoflocalpermacultureandregenerativeagricultureprojects.Theaimofthemorningwas toexplorehowsystemicbiomimicrymight informaMallorca focused strategy toincreasebio-productivityofbothfarmedlandandabandonedlandonthe island.Weevaluateddifferent techniques for soil bio- and myco-remediation, and had a presentation on differentregenerative farming techniques. InaWorldCafé formatweharvesteda lotof ideas for localresearcherstoexplorefurther.

In theafternoon,wehadarranged for a seriesofpublic lectures thathadbeenadvertised touniversitystudentsandstaffandthroughacoupleofarticlesinthelocalpress.TheresaMillard,Dr.ManuelQuiros andDr.DanielWahl, all foundingmembers of Biomimicry Iberia, the localhostsoftheConference,werejoinedbyDr.ArndtPechstein,cofounderofBiomimicryGermany,as theyoffered four inspiring talks toan interestedaudiencemadeupmainlyofstudentsanduniversityofficials.First with a working group at the University focused on regenerative systems design andagriculturalinnovationwithinthecontextofshiftingtowardsregionalandcircularbio-economies.Then with presentations around the theme of “Sustainable Innovation inspired by biology andecology,TheArtandScienceofBiomimicry”

WehopethesuccessoftheconferencewillhelppromotebiomimicryataEuropeanscaleaswellasinMallorca.

Inspiring,invigorating,amazing,warm,enthusiasm,expertise,communityand

positiveenergy!

Ihavelearnedmorein3daysthan1yearofUniversity

Thankyouforallyourenergies&love Thankyouallsooomuchforthe

weekend!Soinspiring!

Thanksallforyourcontributions;lookingforwardtoworkingwithyouin

future!ThewholefieldofBiomimicryhascompletelyblownmeawayandIcannotwaittogetinvolved.

Notonlyacampbutacommitment,aprofessionalpath,acommunitytoshare

Picturesinthisdocumentswererealizedbyparticipantsthemselves,allrightsreserved.