Tag: biomaterials
Landless Food
With many of our staple foods having disappeared due to the impacts of climate change, how will we find ways to reconnect with the experience of flavour?
Landless Food is a speculative design project that places us in the year 2050 to ask salient questions about how we will sustain ourselves as a species.
How will the ways in which we pursue joyful food experiences change? Through her research, project creator Malu Lücking has discovered species of microalgae that can provide us glimpses of flavours past, like crab or prawn, while presenting entirely new flavours as well.
Natasa Perkovic
BLENDING AESTHETICS, INNOVATION AND A DEEP CONNECTION TO NATURE IN HER DESIGN PRACTICE.
Born in Sarajevo into a family in which her father and grandfather worked for the well- known Yugoslav-era wood industry, SIPAD, Natasa grew up surrounded by the scent of wood samples and an appreciation for wood crafts and industry. Though she once found furniture design uninspiring, her perspective shifted after studying Product Design at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo and gaining international experience.
Returning to Sarajevo in the early 2000s, she began teaching at her alma mater and built her design practice in a country still recovering from war and industrial decline. As the country’s furniture sector moved from exporting raw materials to developing its own products, Natasa established her studio and began collaborating with local manufacturers.
Today, she is a leading voice in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s design revival, dedicated to education, regional collaboration, and shaping a bold, innovative and sustainable design culture.
Turning Wood Waste into Valuable Resources
Goran Milic
Expert in wood science and technology, with a focus on sustainable wood processing and hydrothermal treatments.
Dr. Goran Milic is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of wood science. He earned his doctoral degree from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, where he is currently teaching in the Department of Wood Science and Technology.
His expertise lies in primary wood processing, with a special focus on hydrothermal wood treatments such as drying, steaming, and thermal modification. His academic journey has taken him across Europe, enhancing his research through visits and collaborations in Austria, Germany, Finland, and Slovenia.
Beyond academia, Dr. Milic is a consultant for leading companies in the wood industry, providing expertise in wood technologies and serving as a court expert in wood technology cases. His ongoing research focuses on using the wood steaming condensate as a sustainable dye in industrial textile production.
Daniel Podmirseg
Committed to bringing food production back into daily urban life.
Daniel is an architect by training with a strong interdisciplinary background in urban innovation and sustainable design. Educated in Vienna, he studied at the University of Technology, the University of Applied Arts, and the Academy of Fine Arts, where he presented his diploma project on Vertical Farming for London in 2008. Driven by a passion for integrating architecture with ecological and energy-efficient solutions, he pursued a doctorate in technical sciences at Graz University of Technology. His doctoral research, conducted at the Institute for Buildings and Energy, explored the Contribution of Vertical Farms to Increasing the Overall Energy Efficiency of Cities.
Daniel thrives outside of his comfort zone, constantly learning and pushing boundaries through multidisciplinary collaborations. His work reflects a commitment to bringing food production back into daily urban life while reimagining cities as ecosystems that balance innovation, sustainability, and quality of life.
Mujō
Mujō’s products are made from a renewable resource: kelp, a fast-growing seaweed that doesn’t require additional water or agricultural land.
Kelp produces oxygen 20 times faster than trees and purifies ocean water, making it an environmentally sustainable choice. The cultivation potential for kelp is vast, about the size of the Amazon rainforest, making the product scalable.
Mujō’s focus is not only on the technology but also on the unique, novel material design and creating an exciting packaging experience for both B2B and B2C customers. Building a circular ecosystem of all stakeholders involved is key, from the producers and consumers to the decomposer.
Mujō is a Berlin-based biomaterial innovation company that develops innovative, seaweed-based packaging materials that biodegrade straight after use. It’s mission is to make a significant contribution to reducing plastic pollution by providing a sustainable and circular alternative to traditional packaging materials. Follow Mujō lab!
Laura Clèries
With 25 years of international experience, Laura combines expertise in materials science, cultural anthropology, and design futures.
She has worked across academia (NYU, UToronto, IED, Elisava), industry, and think tanks (PantoneView, WGSN), holding roles as a professor, researcher, and design leader.
Laura has curated exhibitions, conferences, and publications, contributing successfully to innovation in the Cultural and Creative Industries. She holds a PhD in Materials Science, is fluent in English, French, Catalan, and Spanish, and has received numerous awards for her work. Her research focuses on content curation, innovation strategies, and color, material, and finish (CMF) design.