Harnessing nature: the future’s most disruptive technologies already exists

Connect Global
Jul 27, 2017 · 4 min read

Technology is continually transforming the way we live, and new products saturate the market. But the best new tech is that which is inspired by, or looks to emulate techniques created by, the natural world.

And why wouldn’t it be? Given the evolutionary journey of the past 4 billion years, nature has solved many of the problems that humanity is grappling with today. Plus there’s a deep history of technological developments designed to reflect what nature has long perfected: pigeons caused the Wright brothers to change the shape of their plane’s wings, the strongest modern waterproof adhesive mimics the substance produced by mussels, the famous Japanese bullet train is modelled on a kingfisher, and squid have been the inspiration for a highly sophisticated camouflage system. And just look at AI, we’re determined to copy the natural workings of the human brain…

The process of using natural-world mechanisms to inspire man-made innovation is called biomimicry. It is a sector that unites biology and engineering, and has applications for a huge range of industry 4.0 sectors, from AgTech and digital health, through to energy and mobility.

Right now, biomimicry is largely being utilised within the energy space, as applications here are most evident (nature has clearly been harvesting and storing energy, sunlight and water using a myriad of highly sophisticated processes for centuries), and most pressing (IEA forecasts a 35% increase in energy consumption in the period 2012–2035).

Glowee, a CUBE Ecosystem startup, are helping to solve the global pollution crisis by creating emissions-free lighting. They have harnessed the process of bioluminescence, a chemical reaction regulated by genetics that enables living organisms to produce light naturally. They have focused specifically on decoding the genetics of squid, copying the bacteria which creates light and inserting them into special containers. In utilising this natural technology, Glowee have created a product that is disrupting the way we produce and consume light. Their lights also don’t require the large-scale infrastructure that current lighting grids demand.

In an attempt to reduce carbon emissions and increase wind turbine efficiency, startup Tyer Wind have developed new turbine blades modelled on a hummingbird’s wings. The two bladed contraption flaps rather than rotates, mimicking the motion of the world’s most energy efficient bird, converting wind kinetic energy into green electricity.

Clean-tech startup Aquaporin have utilised the natural process of osmosis, the process of molecules passing through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one. This tech has strong water desalination applications, allows for water reuse, and acts as a positive water treatment solution. The use of their “forward osmosis” product also means a reduction of energy usage, as it only uses osmotic pressure to drive water through the filtration system.

The market is an increasingly lucrative one, too. In 2016, the global investment in clean energy was $241.6 billion, and the proven effectiveness of these biomimicry energy technologies means investors are more inclined to offer funding rounds. If we take a look at six of the largest biomimicry energy startups, they’ve raised over $250m in total since 2014.

Beyond energy uses, we can see that the natural world holds many answers for how to perfect the technologies needed to truly disrupt the fourth industrial revolution. In regards to mobility, we can improve driving experiences by looking at the natural shock absorbers woodpeckers possess; thinking about ventilation when building smart cities, it’s worth investigating how termites create air pockets within burrows; we could improve the experience of delivering vaccinations by developing pain free needles if we look to mosquitos; and our own neural networks may hold the secret for how to develop an effective energy grid.

There are a plethora of sustainable solutions for industry 4.0 that exist in nature, we just need to look for them.


Authored by: Emily McDonnell, Global Head of Community, CUBE

CUBE is a global innovation ecosystem that acts as the strategic liaison between deep-tech startups and corporates who are determined to shape the future of industry 4.0.

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We're the strategic liaison between deep-tech startups & corporates determined 2 shape the future of industry 4.0.

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