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PRESS RELEASE
A new Green Deal was signed this week between the Dutch Government and BiomimicryNL, a Dutch-based not for profit organisation that promotes smarter thinking in design based on a deeper understanding of the lessons of nature. This ground breaking deal was signed in the Hague on December 13th by Maxime Verhagen, Minister of Economic affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and Joop Atsma , Secretary of State of Infrastructure and Environment with BiomimicryNL. The deal aims to use the skills of biomimicry (learning from and emulating nature’s genius) in a more structural way to achieve sustainable innovations.
Innovation Inspired by Nature
Proponents of biomimicry believe that nature - with its 3.8 million years of evolution and adaptation - offers endless inspiration and practical ideas on how to create smarter and more sustainable products, processes and systems.
The idea has already given rise to stunning adaptations in industrial design. For example, by studying the way in which leaves absorb sunlight, designers have created better solar panels.
By respecting the fact, that animals and plants have adapted and evolved with stunning success over 3.8 million years, biologists and engineers can draw endless lessons to create new innovations that supply a need and work more in tune with our natural environment.
Already, biomimicry has given rise to numerous tested and proven solutions in the fields of architecture, chemistry, engineering, automotives and industrial design.
The new Green Deal will help to increase the impact of biomimicry in the Netherlands and accelerate the delivery of concrete applications by strengthening the knowledge infrastructure in the country together with the launch of popular iconic projects where biomimicry techniques are applied. By investing in natural capital, biodiversity and ecosystems this agreement will be a starting point in building the biomimicry knowledge infrastructure of the future.
Consortium
In 2012 biomimicryNL will form a consortium of Dutch companies, international knowledge partners and authorities. They will explore ways in which to strengthen the biomimicry infrastructure in The Netherlands and how to develop connections globally.
The organisations which will play an active role in the development of this network and infrastructure include: InterfaceFLOR, BELW Advies, draaijer+partners, Brainport Industries Campus and Technical University Delft.
Also in 2012, two iconic projects will be set up in close cooperation with these partners. The projects will be linked to the top priorities in different sectors and be focused around regional and local development and water based chemistry.
“Despite the growing interest in biomimicry it is still relatively unknown in the Netherlands – in contrast to Germany. This Green Deal will boost a much greater awareness of how biomimicry can drive sustainable innovation, ’ said Saskia van den Muijsenberg, a co-founder biomimicryNL.
Ton van Keken, a director at the carpet company InterfaceFLOR agrees with this and emphasizes the importance of biomimicry: ‘For years now, products made by InterfaceFLOR have been inspired by nature. A typical example would be our TacTiles, stickers that hold carpet tiles firmly together, inspired by the way in which nature has designed the gecko lizard’s feet. As a result we did not need to use polluting glues for these products and the indoor environment was improved.’
About biomimicryNL
biomimicryNL is a Dutch not-for-profit organisation currently in the process of forming a strategic partnership with the US organisation Biomimicry 3.8. biomimicryNL promotes learning from nature and through emulating nature’s genius in regard to form, process and ecosystems to achieve and create new sustainable technologies and designs which are healthy for human use. biomimicryNL inspires and informs people through training sessions, workshops, lectures and educational programs. It also advises organisations about the design of sustainable products, processes and systems. The organisation, based at the Lichttoren in Eindhoven, was founded by Bas Sanders, Annette Schumer and Saskia van den Muijsenberg.
More information
Please contact Saskia van den Muijsenberg for more information:
+31 64123 0898, saskia@biomimicrynl.org