Biomimicry Getting inspired by nature… to reach sustainability BIOMIMICRY EUROPA

« The architect of the future will build imitating Nature, for it is the most rational, long-lasting and economical of all methods. » Antonio Gaudi

Play with water like an algae Inspired by shape

Inspired by shape Play with water like an algae From the spiral shape of algae… … to propellers, fans, wind turbines and other fluid mixers Saving energy up to 50% Designed by Jay Harman - Pax Scientific

From the spiral shape of algae…

… to propellers, fans, wind turbines and other fluid mixers

Saving energy up to 50%

Designed by Jay Harman - Pax Scientific

Ventilate like termite mounds Inspired by shape

Inspired by shape Ventilate like termite mounds - From thermoregulation and ventilation of termite mounds … - … to the one of the Eastgate building in Harare, Zimbabwe - Efficiency savings up to 90%, building costs 10% cheaper - Designed by the architecte Mick Pearce

Inspired by process Avoid « Heat, beat & treat » like a sponge

Inspired by process Avoid « Heat, beat & treat » like a sponge - Apply silica skeleton recipe of Antarctic sponges … - … to produce optical fibers at ambient temperature and pressure - As strong and using less energy to produce - Under development at Bells laboratory (Lucent Technologies)

Inspired by process Harness energy like a leaf

Inspired by process Harness energy like a leaf - Emulate porphyrins to collect light like a leaf… - … in order to manufacture new types of Photovoltaic cells - Harness the light twice better, and synthesize at ambient temperature and pressure - Under co-development in Sydney & Osaka Universities

Inspired by process Use CO 2 as a building material like a seashell

Inspired by process Use CO 2 as a building material like a seashell - Fix CO 2 using water-based chemistry to form calcium bicarbonate… … from heat power plants and other industries smokestacks - From bicarbonate to carbonate as a next step to produce building materials - Market launch in progress by « CO2 solution Inc » in Canada, under development with Laval University

- Fix CO 2 using water-based chemistry to form calcium bicarbonate…

… from heat power plants and other industries smokestacks

- From bicarbonate to carbonate as a next step to produce building materials

- Market launch in progress by « CO2 solution Inc » in Canada, under development with Laval University

Ignore waste like a primary forest Inspired by ecosystems

Inspired by ecosystems Ignore waste like a primary forest - Transfer material cycling within a mature ecosystem… - … to material cycling in industries - $15 million and 20 000 Tons of fossil fuel saved per annum in Kalundborg (Danemark) - 25% increase in the GDP per ton of resources for the Chinese “circular economy” (last 5-Year Plan)

Soft chemistry, efficient and without waste Inspired by shapes, processes and ecosystems Re: Noyori Re: Morel

Re: Morel Re: Noyori Inspired by shapes, processes and ecosystems Soft chemistry, efficient and without waste - Shape: inserting the reaction within macro-molecule cavities based on enzyme models (more than 130 new processes, more than 25 products commercialised by DSM) ‏ - Process: enzyme structures inspire new ligand and catalyst science (Noyori, Nobel price in Chemistry in 2001, revolutionizes menthol production) ‏ - Ecosystems: catalyst cascades in the same reactor, directly inspired by enzymatic ecosystems, are priority research areas for Delft University (Netherlands)