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The full range of minors offered by the LDE institutions for the academic year 2025-2026 will be published on eduXchange at the beginning of March.

Bio Inspired Design Challenge

B-MBIBIDC

About this course

This course will teach you to design using the biomimicry design method. The course is built up by individual and group work. The course will start with a series of workshops that will get you going in the design process. Gradually during the design process, you will learn to make choices independently as a group based on the progress you make with the design. At the end of a course groups deliver a conceptual design embedded in a report, supported by a video pitch and poster presentation. You learn how to produce a report that informs designers and engineers on how to materialize the biology embedded in the design.
The course will consist of lectures, workshops, group work and an individual assignment

Mandatory for students in Master’s programme : No, but we strongly recommend Bio Inspired Innovation students to participate
Optional for students in other Master’s programmes GSLS : No
Competenties

  • Semi-structured interview supported by topic list
  • Sketching
  • Challenge to biology design cycle
  • Biological modelling
  • Executive summary
  • Use of SDG

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to design a bio inspired concept that could become a product or service using the challenge to biology biomimicry design cycle.

Learning objectives:

  • The student is able to define and delimit the problem and, based on this describe the context & formulate design criteria.
  • The student is able to use the SDG's to address the underlying sustainability problems
  • The student is able to reproduce and select the appropriate design cycle as suggested by the biomimicry institute
  • The student is able to perform the different (6) steps of the Challenge to biology design cycle and to produce a concept at TRL level 3
  • The student can effectively identify and prioritize multiple biological strategies (Around 40 strategies).
  • The student is able to offer a new design concept to an identified problem
  • The student can integrate Life's Principles and/or unifying patterns into the design
  • The student is able to define future actions (e.g. roadmap) and describe limitations and feasibility of the design.
  • The student is able to communicate the problem and the design convincingly to a broad audience
  • The student is able to formulate a topic-list for an semi-structured interview and to integrate the findings in the final report.

Eindresultaat Weging 100 Report 45% - Pitch 20% Biological Model 25% Executive Summary 10%

Enrolment details

Do you study at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) or Wageningen University and Research (WUR)? You can enrol via eduXchange.nl

Prior knowledge

You must meet the following requirements

  • Assigned study entrance permit for the master

Additional information

  • Credits
    ECTS 9
  • Level
    master
If anything remains unclear, please check the FAQ of Utrecht University.

Offering(s)

  • Start date

    1 September 2025

    • Ends
      30 January 2026
    • Term *
      Semester I
    • Location
      Utrecht
    • Instruction language
      English
    • Time info
      Monday 09:00 - 09:45, Monday 09:00 - 10:45, Monday 09:00 - 11:45, Monday 09:00 - 12:00, Monday 09:00 - 12:45, Monday 09:00 - 15:00, Monday 09:00 - 17:00, Monday 10:00 - 10:45, Monday 10:00 - 12:45, Monday 10:00 - 16:00, Monday 11:00 - 11:45, Monday 11:00 - 12:45, Monday 11:00 - 15:00, Monday 11:00 - 17:00, Monday 12:00 - 12:45, Monday 13:15 - 14:00, Monday 13:15 - 15:00, Monday 13:15 - 16:00, Monday 13:15 - 17:00, Monday 13:15 - 19:00, Monday 14:15 - 15:00, Monday 14:15 - 17:00, Monday 15:15 - 16:00, Monday 15:15 - 17:00, Monday 15:15 - 18:00, Monday 15:15 - 19:00, Monday 16:15 - 17:00, Monday 16:15 - 19:00, Monday 17:15 - 18:00, Monday 17:15 - 19:00, Monday 18:15 - 19:00, Tuesday 09:00 - 09:45, Tuesday 09:00 - 10:45, Tuesday 09:00 - 12:00, Tuesday 09:00 - 12:45, Tuesday 09:00 - 15:00, Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00, Tuesday 10:00 - 10:45, Tuesday 10:00 - 12:45, Tuesday 10:00 - 16:00, Tuesday 11:00 - 11:45, Tuesday 11:00 - 12:45, Tuesday 11:00 - 15:00, Tuesday 11:00 - 17:00, Tuesday 12:00 - 12:45, Tuesday 13:15 - 14:00, Tuesday 13:15 - 15:00, Tuesday 13:15 - 16:00, Tuesday 13:15 - 17:00, Tuesday 13:15 - 19:00, Tuesday 14:15 - 15:00, Tuesday 14:15 - 17:00, Tuesday 15:15 - 16:00, Tuesday 15:15 - 17:00, Tuesday 15:15 - 18:00, Tuesday 15:15 - 19:00, Tuesday 16:15 - 17:00, Tuesday 16:15 - 19:00, Tuesday 17:15 - 18:00, Tuesday 17:15 - 19:00, Tuesday 18:15 - 19:00, Wednesday 09:00 - 09:45, Wednesday 09:00 - 10:45, Wednesday 09:00 - 12:00, Wednesday 09:00 - 12:00, Wednesday 09:00 - 12:45, Wednesday 09:00 - 15:00, Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00, Wednesday 10:00 - 10:45, Wednesday 10:00 - 12:45, Wednesday 10:00 - 16:00, Wednesday 11:00 - 11:45, Wednesday 11:00 - 12:45, Wednesday 11:00 - 15:00, Wednesday 11:00 - 17:00, Wednesday 12:00 - 12:45, Wednesday 13:15 - 14:00, Wednesday 13:15 - 15:00, Wednesday 13:15 - 16:00, Wednesday 13:15 - 17:00, Wednesday 13:15 - 19:00, Wednesday 14:15 - 15:00, Wednesday 14:15 - 17:00, Wednesday 15:15 - 16:00, Wednesday 15:15 - 17:00, Wednesday 15:15 - 18:00, Wednesday 15:15 - 19:00, Wednesday 16:15 - 17:00, Wednesday 16:15 - 19:00, Wednesday 17:15 - 18:00, Wednesday 17:15 - 19:00, Wednesday 18:00 - 21:00, Wednesday 18:15 - 19:00, Thursday 09:00 - 09:45, Thursday 09:00 - 10:45, Thursday 09:00 - 12:00, Thursday 09:00 - 12:45, Thursday 09:00 - 15:00, Thursday 09:00 - 17:00, Thursday 10:00 - 10:45, Thursday 10:00 - 12:45, Thursday 10:00 - 16:00, Thursday 11:00 - 11:45, Thursday 11:00 - 12:45, Thursday 11:00 - 15:00, Thursday 11:00 - 17:00, Thursday 12:00 - 12:45, Thursday 13:15 - 14:00, Thursday 13:15 - 15:00, Thursday 13:15 - 16:00, Thursday 13:15 - 17:00, Thursday 13:15 - 19:00, Thursday 14:15 - 15:00, Thursday 14:15 - 17:00, Thursday 15:15 - 16:00, Thursday 15:15 - 17:00, Thursday 15:15 - 18:00, Thursday 15:15 - 19:00, Thursday 16:15 - 17:00, Thursday 16:15 - 19:00, Thursday 17:15 - 18:00, Thursday 17:15 - 19:00, Thursday 18:15 - 19:00, Friday 09:00 - 09:45, Friday 09:00 - 10:45, Friday 09:00 - 11:45, Friday 09:00 - 12:00, Friday 09:00 - 12:45, Friday 09:00 - 15:00, Friday 09:00 - 17:00, Friday 10:00 - 10:45, Friday 10:00 - 12:45, Friday 10:00 - 16:00, Friday 11:00 - 11:45, Friday 11:00 - 12:45, Friday 11:00 - 15:00, Friday 11:00 - 17:00, Friday 12:00 - 12:45, Friday 13:15 - 14:00, Friday 13:15 - 15:00, Friday 13:15 - 16:00, Friday 13:15 - 17:00, Friday 14:15 - 15:00, Friday 14:15 - 17:00, Friday 15:15 - 16:00, Friday 15:15 - 17:00, Friday 15:15 - 19:00, Friday 16:15 - 17:00, Friday 17:15 - 19:00
    Enrolment period not yet defined
These offerings are valid for students of Wageningen University