Biophilia: When Nature Becomes the New Tech

…and subdue the earth. We tried that for a long time, consistently and unsuccessfully. Today, we want to become part of nature: we bring the wilderness back to the city and on to our plates, explore the social life of plants and communication of animals. We will grant basic rights to bodies of water and make the earth a co-owner of global companies.

This biophilia, the love of living systems, is becoming increasingly significant. From climate-neutral architecture and green urbanism to materials made from plants and fungi to biosynthetically produced new foods and medicines, nature is becoming a source of inspiration and innovation. In it, we find the basic technologies that are changing the economy and society. We’re moving from the digital age to the biological age.

At the 19th European Trend Day, we will show how our understanding of nature and relationship with it is changing. We present new research findings and the most exciting start-ups in the bioeconomy. And we will discuss:

• Which industries will synthetic biology revolutionise?
• How will science be able to facilitate regenerative economics?
• What are the rules of the game, and who are the pioneers of the bio-based economy?
• From rewilding to architectural botany: how will our cities change?
• Will we still distinguish between the artificial and the natural in the future?