Nature as Source of Inspiration
The Innovation Potential of Bio-inspired Materials
Nature is a source of inspiration for the production of new materials. A project by acatech in cooperation with the Cluster Co-Director Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Peter Fratzl, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), highlights the innovation potential of bio inspired materials – from chemistry and energy to medicine and robotics, art and design. The published discussion paper makes it clear that bio-inspired materials have the potential to significantly shape the German research and technology location in the coming years. The aim is to translate Germany's internationally very good position in this field into industrial value creation.
Read more here (in German).
Stone Web – Spatial module system made from basalt fibre at the weissensee academy of art berlin (Idalene Rapp, Natascha-Katharina Unger, Christiane Sauer). Copyright: weissensee academy of art berlin, I. Rapp, N. Unger
From materials that adapt perfectly to their environment, to innovative design with fiber structures, to natural cellulose dyes: If biological materials, synthesis processes and systems are understood, modified and technically developed further, they open up scope for innovation and can contribute to redurcing resources. More efficient material synthesis and material-saving material production, recyclable or biodegradable products, intelligent, i.e. self-repairing and adaptive materials, for example for the medical sector, illustrate the wide range of possible applications.
acatech member and project leader Peter Fratzl, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG) and Deputy Director of the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity. Image Space Material« explains: »The fact that nature appears as a driving force for technical developments is nothing new. But the potential is far from exhausted. In nature, complex structures are produced efficiently with few building blocks that have different functions and adaptation properties. If we gain a better and better understanding of these natural mechanisms and further develop them technically, materials can be created, for example, that contain information about their later use right from the start – such as self-healing concrete, for example.«