Biomimicry Opportunities for New York State Companies and Researchers

24 Septiembre de 2013 - Greene Street, New York.

Speakers Laura Jay and Namita Kallianpurkar will describe and examine what is new in the field of bio-inspired design technology.

Biomimicry is a design process that studies and learns from nature's model, then imitates or takes inspiration from natural forms and processes to solve human problems.

Biomimetic innovations are helping companies save energy, reduce waste, and create successful products by using the natural world for inspiration. PaxScientific, for example, mimics the spiral-shaped flow of natural systems such as tornadoes and whirlpools. The company's fan increase performance in settings as diverse as wastewater treatment plants and computer cooling systems.

Companies that have used biomimicry have reported that the process breaks them free of traditional research and development paradigms, opening a new world of potential innovation by introducing the brilliance of natural solutions. Companies may be able to reduce costs, minimize regulatory oversight, and create unique marketing opportunities.

NYSERDA is funding a 5-year program that reaches out to New York State manufacturers to participate in free workshops to identify opportunities for NYSERDA-funded individual consulting on biomimetic design. This program will bring companies facing energy challenges together with biologists who can prove insight into potential solutions.

This program is not to be missed.

Speakers

Laura Jay has worked in the field of sustainability since 2007 and joined Terrapin in early 2013. She brings experience in strategic planning and organizational development to bring the use of biomimicry as an innovation tool for companies across a range of industries in New York State. Before joining Terrapin, Laura worked at the U.S. Green Building Council, helping them develop their strategic plan and associated metrics, and with the Clinton Climate Initiative on their Climate Positive Development Program. She graduated from Columbia University with a Masters in Urban Planning and Wheaton College in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts.

Namita Kallianpurkar is an environmental and biomimicry consultant with a focus on sustainable design and clean energy technologies. She joined the research and environmental consulting firm Terrapin Bright Green in 2010. Her current work focuses on innovation consulting in relation to biomimicry, the conscious emulation of natural principles in technologies across a range of industries. Prior to joining Terrapin, Namita worked with the Chief Economist at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and assessed solar technologies alongside the McGill University Department of Urban Planning. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Diploma in Environment from McGill University.