THE BIOMIMICRY INSTITUTE

SYSTEMS CHANGE - DESIGN FOR TRANSFORMATION (D4T): IN 2021 WE INITIATED A NEW SYSTEMS CHANGE PROGRAM TO CONTINUE BUILDING ON THE INTEREST GENERATED BY OUR THE NATURE OF FASHION REPORT (2020). THIS PROGRAM LOOKS AT SYSTEM LEVEL CHALLENGES, WITH AN INITIAL FOCUS ON TEXTILE DECOMPOSITION AND HOW WE CAN DESIGN SYSTEMS THAT ULTIMATELY SUPPORT THE SAFE BREAKDOWN AND BUILDUP OF MATERIALS. MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS THAT ARE UNFAMILIAR TO NATURE PREDOMINATE THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY. THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF THIS INDUSTRY THREATENS TO OVERWHELM PLANETARY BOUNDARIES. TAKING A BIOMIMETIC FRAME TO THE ISSUES LEADS TO POSSIBLE END-OF-LIFE SOLUTIONS STARTING WITH MAKING MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS THAT ARE FAMILIAR (AKA COMPATIBLE) WITH NATURAL SYSTEMS. THE D4T INITIATIVE IS CONDUCTING PILOTS IN THE GLOBAL NORTH AND GLOBAL SOUTH THAT ARE DESIGNED TO EXPLORE HOW THE "BOTTOM FRACTION" OF MIXED TEXTILE WASTE WHICH ARE DESTINED FOR LANDFILL OR INCINERATION CAN BE CONVERTED INTO VALUABLE OUTPUTS. IN 2023 WE BROUGHT TOGETHER A VARIETY OF GLOBAL PARTNERS TOGETHER TO WORK ON A VARIETY OF ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT. TOGETHER WE HAVE WORKED TO CREATE A NEW EXPANDED VERSION OF WHAT THE FUTURE OF CIRCULARITY HOLDS AND TO BEGIN TO ARCHITECT THAT FUTURE INTO FUNCTIONING PILOTS. OUR PARTNERS INCLUDED ACADEMIC RESEARCH PARTNERS (LEEDS UNIVERSITY IN THE U.K.; MARINE BIOGEOCHEMISTRY LAB OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON; YALE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR GREEN CHEMISTRY AND GREEN ENGINEERING), CIRCULARITY PARTNERS (CIRCLE ECONOMY, REGENERATE FASHION, BENEFICIAL DESIGN INSTITUTE, OR FOUNDATION, AND METABOLIC INSTITUTE), AND COLLABORATED WITH THOUGHT PARTNERS (FASHION FOR GOOD, HKRITA). THIS PROJECT HAS EXPANDED OUR CIRCLE OF COLLABORATORS AND HAS UNLOCKED A VARIETY OF EXCITING CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTED TO DRIVING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY FORWARD.WE HAVE EXPANDED ON THE NATURE OF FASHION TO PROVIDE DIRECTION TO INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS ONUNPACKING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BIODEGRADABILITY AND THE NEXT STEPS ON HOW TO INTEGRATE NATURE'S LESSONS ON MATERIALS METABOLISM INTO THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY. OUR GLOBAL NORTH AND GLOBAL SOUTH PILOTS PROVIDE TANGIBLE EXAMPLES OF HOW TO IMMEDIATELY APPLY THESE CONCEPTS. OUR BACKBONE PARTNERS (CIRCLE ECONOMY, REGENERATE FASHION, BENEFICIAL DESIGN INSTITUTE, AND OR FOUNDATION) HAVE A COMMITMENT TO SCALE THESE PILOTS IN THE LONG-TERM AND INTEGRATE THEM INTO REGIONAL PROCESSES. CIRCLE ECONOMY IS ENGAGING WITH MUNICIPAL PARTNERS SUCH AS THE CITY OF ROTTERDAM MEANWHILE THE OR FOUNDATION IS PARTNERED WITH THE MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT, THE ACCRA METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY, TO IMPLEMENT THEIR REMEDIATION SOLUTIONS.

INNOVATION - BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD AND RAY OF HOPE PRIZE:THE BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD SUPPORTS A COMMUNITY OF EARLY-STAGE SCIENTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS WHO BENEFIT FROM EACH OTHER AS THEY DEEPEN THEIR BIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOP THE SKILLS NEEDED TO TRANSFORM THEIR IDEAS FROM CONCEPT TO PROVEN PROTOTYPE AND BEYOND. THE PROGRAM FEATURES A VIRTUAL 10-WEEK CUSTOMER DISCOVERY AND TECHNOLOGY VALIDATION INCUBATOR, ALONG WITH A WEEK-LONG NATURE IMMERSION NEAR MISSOULA, MONTANA, WHICH BUILDS A LIFELONG COMMUNITY OF PEERS AND STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL ETHOS. THE LAUNCHPAD EQUIPS NATURE-INSPIRED SCIENTISTS, DESIGNERS, AND RESEARCHERS WITH THE SKILLS AND TOOLS THEY NEED TO TURN THEIR WORK INTO SCALABLE STARTUPS.IN 2023, WE SUPPORTED 16 MULTIDISCIPLINARY PARTICIPANTS, FROM COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE US, ECUADOR, AND INDIA. THIS COHORT INCLUDED SCIENTISTS STUDYING ELEPHANT TRUNK MECHANICS AND EPIPHYTE ADHESION MECHANISMS, AWARD WINNING ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS, AND EXPERIENCED ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS. AFTER PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM, TWO PARTICIPANTS WENT ON TO START A NEW COMPANY, AND WE HAVE PROVIDED A GLOBAL SPEAKER AND MEDIA PLATFORM FOR SEVERAL OTHER PARTICIPANTS.IN ADDITION TO RUNNING THE BIOMIMICRY LAUNCHPAD PROGRAM, THE PROGRAM TEAM HAS ALSO BEEN SELECTED TO ADVISE ON A NUMBER OF SCIENTIFIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY GROUPS, INCLUDING A MULTI-UNIVERSITY UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION GRANT TITLED BIO-DERIVED AND BIO-INSPIRED ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES, AND ENGINEERING FOR ONE PLANET'S ADVISORY GROUP.THE RAY OF HOPE PRIZE PROGRAM IDENTIFIES STARTUPS WITH NATURE-INSPIRED SOLUTIONS, AMPLIFIES THEIR STORIES AND CONNECTS THEM TO MENTORS AND INVESTORS. THIS IS A HYBRID PROGRAM, WITH PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING A NATURE RETREAT DESIGNED TO CREATE A LIFE-LONG COMMUNITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENEURS, FOLLOWED BY A 10-WEEK VIRTUAL PROGRAM FOCUSED ON SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES. THE PROGRAM CULMINATES WITH A $100,000 PRIZE THAT HELPS COMPANIES CROSS A CRITICAL THRESHOLD IN BECOMING VIABLE BUSINESSES. IN SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF BUSINESSES TO SOLVE BIG CHALLENGES, THE INSTITUTE BRINGS ATTENTION TO THE INNOVATIVE, NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS NEEDED TO BUILD A SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT WORLD.THE 2023 AWARD RECIPIENT WAS SPARXELL, FROM CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND. SPARXELL CREATES THE NEXT GENERATION OF COLORS AND EFFECTS WITH VIBRANT, METAL-LIKE PIGMENTS, ALL FROM PLANT-BASED CELLULOSE. SUSTAINABLE VIBRANT COLORANTS REPRESENT A $65B MARKET FOR PRODUCTS AS DIVERSE AS COSMETICS, PAINTS, FABRICS, AUTOMOBILE COATINGS, AND PACKAGING. TRADITIONAL MATERIALS USED ARE NON-RENEWABLE, NON-BIODEGRADABLE AND UNSUSTAINABLY SOURCED MINERAL PIGMENTS OR OIL-DERIVED DYES. SPARXELL HAS DEVELOPED THE FIRST FULLY BIODEGRADABLE, NON-TOXIC, MICROPLASTIC-FREE, ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE PIGMENTS, GLITTERS, SEQUINS AND FILMS USING CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS (CNCS) ASSEMBLED INTO CHOLESTERIC (HELIX-LIKE) STRUCTURES TO PRODUCE INTENSE REFLECTANCE SPECTRA.ANODYNE CHEMISTRIES, FROM BURNABY, CANADA, WAS SELECTED AS THE $25,000 RUNNER-UP. ANODYNE CREATES LOW AND NEGATIVE CO2 EMISSION CHEMICALS AND FUELS VIA THEIR UNIQUE ENZYME PROCESS.IN TOTAL, TEN STARTUPS WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2023 RAY OF HOPE PRIZE PROGRAM, WHICH CONSISTED OF TRAINING ON SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES AND SCIENCE COMMUNICATION SKILLS, IN ADDITION TO ACCESSING A CURATED COMMUNITY OF EXPERT MENTORS, ADVISORS, AND INVESTORS. ADDITIONALLY, THESE 10 STARTUP COMPANIES PARTICIPATED IN A WEEK-LONG NATURE IMMERSION IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, IN WHICH THEY BUILT A LIFE-LONG COMMUNITY OF PEERS AND PARTICIPATED IN ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO FOSTER A CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MINDSET.NOTE: THE RAYS OF HOPE PRIZE PROGRAM IS IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR FUNDING PARTNER, THE RAY C. ANDERSON FOUNDATION (RCAF). CASH AWARDS ARE PASSED-THRU FROM RCAF. NONCASH TRAVEL ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED TO INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS BY THE BIOMIMICRY INSTITUTE.