Jaco Appelman

What if nature is not only something to protect, but also our most important teacher for innovation and economy?

Jaco Appelman takes you on a journey through Bio Inspired Innovation: a way of thinking and designing where nature is the starting point. Not to simply imitate it, but to understand how natural systems have functioned successfully for millions of years - and what we can learn from that. Bio-inspiration encompasses diverse approaches such as biomimicry, biophilia and circular economy, all aimed at restoring and strengthening natural systems. The central question: what does nature need to flourish and create new life?

Appelman (born 1965) is co-founder of the Bio Inspired Innovation programme at Utrecht University, where he teaches and conducts research into bio-inspired change. Previously, he worked at various universities in the fields of development studies, management studies and systems science. That broad background led him repeatedly to the same conclusion: taking nature as a starting point is the only innovation strategy that also works in the long term.