Growing global population and a rising middle-class is putting a strain on the environment and depleting the world’s stock of biophysical resources. The dominant economic system behaves as a linear system and based on the rapid use, disposal, and replacement of goods. The global capitalist economic system is poorly prepared to deal with unexpected events such as climate change and its impacts. To deal with global impending and complex issues, we propose a renewed model of an economic system that closely integrates Biomimicry principles. Biomimicry is the study of how nature’s systems and processes function to solve the problems of survival. Nature’s dynamics are then applied human innovation. The environmental technologies and societal innovations we need are often already present the core of nature’s design since nature has, through evolution, already found the most energy-efficient solution for many problems. Biomimicry therefore promises to be a cogent design tool for the near future. This presentation, "Reimagining the Future: The Biomimetic Economy", is an exploration of the nature of economic systems in relation to ecological systems – resilience, optimization, adaptability, systems based, value based and life supporting – through the design principals of biomimicry. Through our research, we created a learning tool that allows users interested in developing healthy economies and sustainable business practices to follow and learn from the principles of diversification; import shifting, succession; the three-horizon framework, biodiversity; multiple feedback loops and symbiosis; the sharing economy. In addition, we describe the creation of a new framework, titled the shared futures infinity loop (SFI Loop), which posits to replace the panarchy as the model for sustainable economic progression to create a more sustainable world. The gigamap project which the presentation is based on was a collaborative project developed by Nihal Ahmed, Ksenia Benifand and Ryan Church at OCAD University, Strategic Foresight & Innovation MDes, Social Systems Design.

1. Reimagining the Future The Biomimetic Economy
Ryan Church I Ksenia Benifand I Nihal Ahmed
OCAD University MDes, Strategic Foresight & Innovation

2. What is Biomimicry? A science that studies nature's models and then uses these designs and processes to solve human problems.
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3. Why Biomimicry? Nature has been dealing with dynamic change for more than 3.8 billion years.
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4. Research Purpose
Explore how Biomimicry design principals can be applied to our economic system.
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5. The Challenge
Businesses today are poorly prepared to deal with unexpected adverse social, environmental, and economic impacts.
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7. Design Principles
Resilience
Optimizing
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Adaptive
Systems Based
Value Based
Life Supporting
Source: Biomimicry for Creative Innovation (BCI)

8. Three Horizons
Time
Prevalence
H3
H2
H1
Source: Anthony Hodgson
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9. Type I System
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H1

10. Type II System
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H2

11. Type III System
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H3

12. Kalundborg Ecopark
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First full realization of industrial symbiosis. Companies collaborate to virtually eliminate waste, and use the by-products and waste as net new input.

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14. Circular Economy
New way of thinking about material flows, production and patterns of consumption.
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Underutilized Assets

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17. Diverse Economies
In nature, successful ecosystems expand through diversity. Diverse economies also expand in a rich environment, created by diverse use and reuse of goods and services.
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Adapted from Jacobs, J., 2000

18. Import Stretching
New value is added to an existing good or “import” and is turned into a new product for export.
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Adapted from Jacobs, J., 2000

19. Case Study Rent your jeans for a year, after that you have 3 options: 1) keep it, 2) switch it, 3) send back.
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20. Import Replacement
Developing capacity to make things locally that used to be imported from afar.
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Adapted from Jacobs, J., 2000

21. Case Study
Icelandic company using fish scales for fashion forward shoes and clothing.
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22. Three Horizons
Time
Prevalence
H3
H2
H1
Source: Anthony Hodgson
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Circular Economy

23. Next Steps
•Rethinking product design and production
•Fostering collaborative relationships across value chains
•Socializing new modes of consumption
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Adapted from Jacobs, J., 2000

24. "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.“
- Albert Einstein
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25. Thank You!
Ryan Church - newton.davinci@gmail.com @BiomeDesign
Ksenia Benifand - ksenia@aeonstrategies.com @KBenifand
Nihal Ahmed - nihalahmed@live.in @iNihalAhmed
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