This course is meant for students in engineering and other disciplines who seek a challenging, interactive, team-based, and hands-on learning experience in entrepreneurship and technology. In this highly experiential course, students work in simulated start-up teams to create products or start-up ideas to address a broadly-defined need of an industry partner or social challenge.

The Bio-inspired Innovation Challenge Lab, is a dynamic 16-week course that unlocks the secrets of nature to transform your entrepreneurial vision. By integrating Berkeley's Method of Entrepreneurship with biological discoveries, you'll learn to harness nature's problem-solving strategies to create groundbreaking, sustainable businesses that drive success while positively impacting the planet. In this immersive course, you'll collaborate in diverse teams of students from various disciplines to create and present original bio-inspired design projects. This collaborative environment offers a unique opportunity to learn about team dynamics and develop the skills necessary to build a successful team. Through hands-on prototyping and interdisciplinary exchange among engineering, biology, medicine, art, architecture, and business, you'll develop a portfolio-ready project by the end of the course. No prior biology experience is required—just a passion for exploring alternative innovation methods and understanding how biology can shape future inventions. Lectures and hands-on workshops will guide you through the bio-inspired design process, from scientific breakthroughs to entrepreneurial start-ups, using compelling case studies. Explore how nature has inspired innovations like gecko-inspired adhesives, robots that run, fly, and swim, artificial muscles, computer animation, medical devices, and prosthetics. These examples highlight the critical roles of health, environment, and safety in bioinspired design, demonstrating how these innovations address real-world challenges while fostering sustainable solutions. This course is your chance to lead societal change, develop creativity and critical thinking skills essential for real-world practice, and make a meaningful impact. It's about fostering entrepreneurial growth, creating a difference, and driving innovation that transforms both businesses and the planet.

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