BIOMIMICRY FOR ENTREPRENEURS Erasmus Project

Project Title

BIOMIMICRY FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

“Biomimicry for Entrepreneurs” project aims at reaching current and future entrepreneurs and also business ecosystem in Europe with an alternative and inspiring perspective on entrepreneurship. ‘Bio’ means life. ‘Mimicry’ means to stimulate. Biomimicry is learning from nature and then emulating its forms, processes, and ecosystems in order to create more sustainable designs and address design challenges in creative ways. Also, brings collaboration, rapidly renewability, sustainability inside. In the context of this project, the challenge we will address is how to be better entrepreneurs. The quality, quantity and speed of solutions that will address these challenges and risks will shape the future. Raising better entrepreneurs will increase the chances of our species to continue its existence more gracefully on this planet. And also, helps economically and socially development of countries. Nature is the greatest entrepreneur of all times – it creates continuously, takes risks, fails, and regenerates. The cycle of life on Earth is a cycle of entrepreneurship. Turning to nature and asking questions such as “what kind of an entrepreneur is nature?” and “what makes nature a good entrepreneur?” will reveal valuable insights that will help entrepreneurs pursue their endeavours towards designing a more sustainable future. Combining biomimicry knowledge with entrepreneurship education is the realistic and effective way of creating future generation ideas, start-ups, designs, products, business models and specialized economies.

“Biomimicry for Entrepreneurs” project realized with the collaborative hard work of 8 partners from 5 different countries; Turkey, United States, Spain, Netherlands and Germany. Project partners consist of non-profit associations, non-governmental organizations, SMEs and universities. TUKCEV (Tuketici ve Cevre Egitim Vakfı – Consumer and Environmental Education Association) is the coordinator, university partners are Istanbul Sehir University Technology Trade Office and TOBB Economy and Technology University (TOBB ETU) Industrial Design Department, SME partners are Mentor and Trenddesk, NGO partners are Biomimicry Iberia, Biomimicry Netherlands and Mostar of the project. According to the partner’s specialization areas, educative web platform created and dissemination activities realized in all partner’s countries with more multiplier effects than expected at the beginning of the project.

Realized main activities can be summarized at below;
– www.biomimicryFE.com web page created with 3 different languages; English, Spanish and Turkish.
– Courses are prepared in basic and advanced level. The web page contains 50 videos, in total 350 minutes.
– Multiplier events realized in Turkey, Spain and Netherlands. Additionally, dissemination activities realized in Berlin – Germany, Granada & Madrid – Spain and 7 different cities (Afyon, Bolu, Osmaniye, Kırşehir, Sakarya, Giresun, Ankara) in Turkey. Radio programmes broadcasted, newspaper and magazine news pressed about the project.

Until the beginning of the project, project team reached nearly 3000 target group young people who haven’t got any idea about biomimicry and how to use in entrepreneurship. In longer-term projection, we aim to reach more people and develop the web page to give motivational ideas for new biomimicry projects.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 199385 Eur

Project Coordinator

TUKETICI VE CEVRE EGITIM VAKFI & Country: TR

Project Partners

• Mostar Friedensprojekt e.V.
• Biomimicry Iberia Association
• TOBB EKONOMI VE TEKNOLOJI UNIVERSITESI
• Stichting biomimicryNL
• ISTANBUL SEHIR UNIVERSITESI
• Trenddesk, Inc.
• MENTOR MEDYA LTD. STI.