Biomimicry: Streamlining the Front End of Innovation for Environmentally Sustainable Products

TLDR

Biomimicry is innovation that emulates biological forms, processes, patterns, and systems, emphasizing solution discovery over validation. GOJO Industries applied biomimicry to develop environmentally sustainable products. The biomimicry-driven project produced twice the intellectual property and at least twice the energy savings for one‑sixth the resource commitment, and accelerated front‑end innovation, indicating a promising but still unvalidated approach. Details are available at an IRI-sponsored webinar on October 7, 2016, and via https://tinyurl.com/hz9cmsj.

Abstract

OVERVIEW:Biomimicry, defined as innovation through the emulation of biological forms, processes, patterns, and systems, is particularly valuable for its focus on solution discovery, as opposed to solution validation. GOJO Industries, Inc., used biomimicry to drive environmentally sustainable product innovation. The approach proved both efficient and effective: in comparison to a historical new product development project with a similar objective and scope, the biomimicry-driven project produced double the intellectual property and, based on a preliminary assessment of lead product concepts, at least double the energy savings for just one-sixth the resource commitment. Biomimicry also showed potential to increase the overall speed of front-end innovation. This case study suggests that biomimicry may be a highly promising approach for driving innovation, and particularly environmentally sustainable innovation, but further investigation is needed to validate the conclusions of this single case study. The authors will discuss their study in more detail at an IRI-sponsored webinar, October 7, 2016, 12–1 pm EST. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/hz9cmsj.