One of the key learnings from the past 10 years working in the frontline with communities, ecosystems, business, and innovation is that EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED.  If we are going to thrive in finding solutions for our main sustainability challenges we must understand that there is no isolated impact in any of our actions and that KNOWLEDGE IS CUMULATIVE.

 

We live in systems, we are systems, we think and design systems. Natural Systems are key to our evolution and to define our niche in the Planet.

 

Our current systems are: 

 

1. INFORMATION SOFTWARE

Status: Prototype

“One ecosystem at a time because everything is connected”

 

Web/App

Education tool

To understand the value of any given ecosystem (or living system) through its relationships.

 

The goal is to change the way information is connected in order to inspire the next generation of technologies, business, artists, inventors, designers, creatives and locals.

 

The system has passed through many collaborations from biology to canvas. We believe that the difference comes in the HOW you do things, we believe that teams can always perform better than the sum of the individuals and we love to co-evolve.

 

Through the visualization of the biological relationships and its organism-centered interface, the software connects all kinds of relevant information available and interesting for the user around an organism and its ecosystem.

 

The point of reference for designing a tool are the Biomimicry Professionals. The users are Institutions and Individuals.

Institutions are those in which Natural is capital: schools, local communities, Governments, Universities, Natural History Museums, Zoos, etc.)

Individuals are always pioneers and include people that love nature and are present in across all industries (architecture, innovation, environment, sustainability, business, technology, startups, art, design, culture,etc).

 

We have a great alliance with The Biomimicry Institute. We have decided to support each other to bring the best complementary tools and to enhance diversity of approaches to their Biomimicry information (More than 5000 entries). We are always looking for the right partnership in every step.

 

Our CASE happens in the NL where we are using the Ecosystemic Map Approach and the Impact Management tool in order to stop an ecocide in Hedwige Polder and implement an optimal solution inspired by nature. 

 

2. IMPACT VISUALIZATION TOOL

ACTIVE for 7 years 

When we did our field research in Latin America, USA, and Europe we realized that they were many successful stories and projects to learn from but they were al lost in translation. Tackling that challenge since 2007, we have developed a communication tool for inclusive business. By analysing the business as a system we cam up with a flexible, colourful and systemic way of understanding the enterprise and being able to see the whole picture of the company in one single page. We learn from the trees that circles and layers are helpful to us to better undesrtand their past, the main events.

 

The tool has evolved and has been used in more than 70 projects all over Mexico; we have build bridges for more than 15 indigenous communities. Projects, Foundations, NGOs, Governments, Communities have learn about a systemic perspective, they have been able to agreed on key points, and to move forward in leverage points. Our tool measures impact but also is a motion picture of the system leveraging communication, alliances, and cooperation between the teams from the desk to the field.

 

 

3. INNOVATION FRAMEWORK

EVOLUTION=INNOVATION

Dinosaurs reigned the planet for more than 150 MILLION years… our calendar says that today has been few more than 2 THOUSANDS years since our last rebooting. But we are already facing extinction! It looks like Nature has survived many cycles before humans and it also looks that we need to quite our cleverness and start being better students if we do not want to destroy of house before we can even walk as a species. 

 

Willing to create something transcendent the BIOMINGA team took the adventure of innovation in Nature. Our hypothesis INNOVATION=EVOLUTION. Coming from different backgrounds (countries, disciplines, ages, continents,etc)  we decided to let the process to lead our path. We went from science to art, from biology to instincts, we questioned life and we deeply learned from each other. We learned how to trust and to build, like in the old times, something greater than our individuals. The content was so rich that we came with individually attuned outcomes: a book, an ibook, a model, a boardgame, the wheels, and a performance surrounded by the beauty of the sea and the Tropical Rain Forest of Costa Rica.

 

Taking all the most amazing strategies from nature that we knew, by making a list of 25 totally different strategies and with our 4 different lenses: design, biology, business and engineering we came to a Venn diagram that explains how nature is dynamic and you need to keep alive the next generation if you want your achievements to stay for a while: The Biominga Evolution Framework.