To a great extent, Biomimicry as it is applied to product design and development is a technology-enabled discipline. Much of nature’s genius takes place at the nano-scale, and to understand that brilliance and to put the learnings into effect is often only possible though advanced computer software and manufacturing techniques. As you can read in this latest post from Joel Makower, Autodesk is at the forefront:  Â
Autodesk and the Future of Sustainable Design: If you start with the premise that many of the solutions to our global sustainability challenges require smart design and systems thinking, it doesn’t take long before you find your way to Autodesk. The 29-year-old design software company has made a series of impressive moves into the sustainability realm over the past few years. It’s one of those largely unheralded companies creating the tools used by architects, designers, manufacturers, and — most recently — cleantech entrepreneurs to produce the next generation of greener, cleaner, more efficient products. Continued at http://makower.typepad.com/joel_makower/2011/03/autodesk-and-the-future-of-sustainable-design.html