SMART Materials 2025

By embedding conductive liquid metals in stretchable textiles and soft interfaces, a surface for tactile control of a lamp was developed at the WINT Design Lab.

At the Parali design studio, Aarushi Mittal uses traditional techniques to transform agricultural waste and rice straw into sustainable textiles and home decor.

With Solio, Katherine Lopez has developed an oil dispenser in the form of a sample set made from sunflower seed shells, a secondary material from the food industry.

The Swedish interior agency "Industrial Poetry" has investigated the inherent flexibility of 3D printed furniture in its COX system by taking advantage of UPM's wood filament.

Ecoblaq is a molecule manipulation method, a natural chemical reaction, making the wood change colour. That is why the natural wood patterns still shows, including the sense of warmth and structure…

Lotus seeds can be found in every supermarket in Asia. They are valued as a gluten-free and healthy snack and are available in many different flavors.

The focus of the project "Design for Recycling" is a seat shell that is made from different natural fiber reinforced plastics (NFRPs) in order to significantly reduce the ecological footprint.

At the ELMIA Subcontractor in Jönköping, Fraunhofer LBF is showing promising approaches for sustainable manufacturing processes with natural fiber-reinforced materials and the lightweight design…

With the visionary seat concepts, BMW Design presents ideas for concrete applications using other innovative materials and production methods that contribute to lower CO2 emissions and increased use…

With the "Texoversum", Reutlingen University has put into operation a training and innovation center for the textile industry. The components were wound from fibers that are fixed with a special…

The family-run business Dyaqua has developed a technology to integrate a photovoltaic panel into roof tiles with terracotta aesthetics, in order to bring solar energy to historic cities and their…

Thai designer Irene Purasachit uses discarded cut flowers to make eco-friendly floral sponge, paper and textiles.

Finnish company Woodio has developed the world's first toilet made from a biomaterial based on wood cellulose and resins. The product received the Design Plus Award 2023 at the ISH in Frankfurt.

With her "Solar Blanket", designer Mireille Steinhage shows how the use of self-sufficient products can cushion the burden of rising energy prices.

Berlin based start-up MotorSkins designs and produces textiles with embedded fluidics for Human movement and Human-machine interaction. Their textile systems are capable of sensing and giving haptic…

NaturLoop has been developing a technology for biocomposites from agricultural byproducts and natural adhesives. Its first product, Cocoboard is made from coconut husk fibers and tannin extracts.

A research initiative of the Fraunhofer IAP aims to produce hydrogen by operating small wind turbines for personal use. Small rotors and safe tanks are currently being developed for this purpose.

With EPHEA, the Italian manufacturer Mogu presented a new mushroom-based leather alternative at Paris Fashion Week and expanded the options for the shoe and fashion industry.

Edible mushrooms are considered an important food source worldwide. An Australian company has launched salty mushroom chips as a nutritious alternative to standard potato chips.

Israeli start-up Plantish has developed a 3D printed plant-based alternative to salmon that has the same nutritional value as fish. It can be prepared in the same way as regular salmon.