Biodesign Night: 2026 edition

During Bio Design Night, we dive into the world of bio design: a growing field where designers, scientists and entrepreneurs work with living organisms to create new materials, products and systems. Together, we explore how these living innovations can contribute to a regenerative economy - and, above all, how these innovations can move from experiments to scalable impact in the real world.

In it’s 10-years anniversary year, BlueCity opens the Week of the Circular Economy with one of it’s most successful programmes of the past decade. Moderated by bio-designer and founder of BlueCity Lab Emma van der Leest, the evening brings together leading biodesigners, circular entrepreneurs and researchers who are shaping this field today by sharing their perspectives on biodesign as a biotechnological innovation.

This evening is not only about fascinating materials and organisms. They look at the bigger picture: what is needed for biodesign to grow and scale? What roles do regulation, infrastructure and collaboration between designers and scientists play? And how do we create the right conditions for living solutions to become part of everyday economic reality?

In addition to inspiring insights, this evening will also give you an online glimpse into the BlueCity Lab, where you can see how biodesign is developed, tested, and prepared for larger-scale application in practice. NAi Booksellers will be present with a stand during this evening and has put together a carefully curated selection of books especially for Bio Design Night, with publications at the intersection of biodesign, architecture, art, science, and circular thinking.

Bio Design Night is for anyone curious about how designing with living systems can help shape a more circular, regenerative future.

Note: this event is in English

Info: Emma van der Leest is an award-winning biodesigner, researcher, lecturer, and author, and the leading expert in this field in the Netherlands. She has more than ten years of experience in biodesign, where she has collaborated with various disciplines, including international scientists, physicists, artists, and designers. Emma is also the founder of the BlueCity Lab.

Info: Teresa van Dongen will join us at Bio Design Night 2026 to tell us about her recent work and research in harnessing the energy of the sun, as well as her research into autonomous light installations powered by natural, bacteria driven processes.

Info: Klaas Kuitenbrouwer is senior researcher in regenerative practices at het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam and director of the Zoönomic Institute. Alice’s work lies at the intersection of technology, interaction and experience design, and user research. Driven by a commitment to accelerate the transition toward a circular economy through projects that drive tangible change.

Info: NAi Booksellers is an independent quality bookstore in Rotterdam, Netherlands, specializing in books on architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, and design. Founded in 1993 and located in the cultural heart of the city at Het Nieuwe Instituut, the shop offers a carefully curated selection of international and Dutch publications including monographs, academic works, reference books, and architectural guides. Over the years, it has become a trusted destination for both professionals and interested visitors alike.

Info: Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven presents several ongoing research projects in which mycelium is a co-creator for material and product design.

Info: George Birch has a background in marine ecology and experience spanning marine conservation and sustainable finance. After working with the Blue Marine Foundation and in sustainable asset management at Janus Henderson, he founded Oyster Heaven in 2021. The startup partners with ocean-dependent companies to restore marine ecosystems at scale by rebuilding oyster reefs. As founder, George leads growth and strategic partnerships, driving Oyster Heaven’s mission to regenerate healthy oceans.

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