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Applications are now open to enter the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge, an annual competition that asks teams comprising students or professionals to address critical global issues with nature-inspired solutions. The challenge is hosted by the Missoula, Mont.-based Biomimicry Institute in partnership with the Ray C. Anderson Foundation.
According to the press release announcing the program, biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested strategies.
Participation in this year’s challenge is open to anyone with an interest in the issue of climate change. The competition is divided into two team-based categories: a student-only category for high school and university students, and an open category, which anyone can enter. Participants can enter as a team or join a team. Judging and prizes are category-specific.
All entries in both categories must involve a technology, product, service or process that addresses a challenge related to the current theme. The entry must show a clear connection between a biological mechanism, process, pattern or system, and the technological solution submitted; i.e., the solution must emulate one or more natural models. Entries must describe an entirely new solution and represent a given team’s unique work and intellectual property. Projects that already have generated commercial revenue exceeding $100,000 are not eligible for entry.
The submission deadline for entries is April 30, 2017. For more information, see the institute’s website: http://challenge.biomimicry.org.