This week, we're introducing you to Janine Benyus. She's giving a keynote speech a the Front End of Innovation Conference with Gunter Pauli entitled, 'Inspiration for Innovation: Learning from Nature.' Janine Benyus was recognized in 2007 by Time Magazine as a Hero of the Environment.
Benyus is known around the world for her concept of biomimicracy. Biomimicry is defined as 'innovation inspired by nature, while looking to the natural world for advice in order to live more sustainably.'
Jane cofounded the Biomimicry Guild with Dayna Baumeister in Missoula, Montana. The guild's focus is to teach innovators how to model designs after nature. Their objective is: Our goal is to create products, processes, and policies that create conditions conducive to life. She also was the author of the book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. In this book, she elaborates on her theory that when engineering things in the human world, architects should look at the way nature has evolved. Then, in turn, using those designs they will create a very stable and more sustainable product. The first chapter of the book can be read here.
Her purpose is to help everyone see the designs of nature, because it is designed to be sustainable. Since nature has been evolving for 3.8 billion years, it has found the design flaws in around 99% of its organisms (New West). Innovators and engineers should look to nature to innovate their new designs needed in today's environment, in order to be well engineered and sustainable . They are both well engineered and sustainable for the environment (Source: Big Picture TV). Listen to the Living Green podcast featuring Janine Benyus entitled 'Biomimicry: Janine Benyus is Honored by TIME' Part One and Part Two. To download the podcasts, visit the Living Green Podcast Page.
So what benefit does innovating your packaging to look function like the exoskeleton of a beetle? Come hear Jane Benyus' keynote speech with Gunter Pauli at the Front End of Innovation Conference May 19th through the 21st. Next week, we'll be profiling keynote speaker Deborah Ancona.