FuturePrint Podcast
FuturePrint is dedicated to and passionate about the power of print technology to enable new opportunities and create new value. This pod features deep-dive discussions with the people behind the tech as well as market analysis, trends, marketing and storytelling!
FuturePrint Podcast
#312 - From Nature to Manufacturing: How Biomimicry and AI Are Shaping the Future of Industrial Design
In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, we speak with Franziska Valerie Hagenauer, founder of FVH Lab, a nature-inspired design specialist working at the intersection of biomimicry, AI, computational design and digital fabrication. Franziska will be speaking at the forthcoming FuturePrint AI for Industrial Print Conference, Jan 22, which is a part of FuturePrint Industrial Print in Munich 21-22 January.
Franziska explains how she helps sustainable technology innovators translate complex technical advantages into intuitive, emotionally resonant physical demonstrators. Rather than relying on data sheets and specifications alone, her work uses forms inspired by nature to communicate performance, efficiency and sustainability in a way that is instantly understood.
The conversation explores the role of biomimicry as both a design and storytelling tool. Natural structures are universally recognisable, emotionally engaging and effective at differentiating technologies on crowded trade show floors. Franziska outlines her process, starting with a discovery workshop to identify key technical strengths, followed by research into biological analogues that visually express those attributes.
AI plays a critical role in this workflow, particularly in the early concept phase. Franziska describes how AI tools accelerate research, support idea generation and help visualise concepts through high-quality renderings that combine sketches with natural patterns. Computational design and parametric modelling then allow these concepts to be translated into producible 3D forms.
Importantly, Franziska challenges the idea that AI simply needs more data. Instead, she emphasises the importance of high-quality, reliable input and human creativity. Looking ahead, she shares her perspective on how AI, when combined with nature-inspired thinking, could help industry address sustainability challenges rather than simply optimise efficiency.
This episode offers a refreshing and thought-provoking perspective on how AI and biomimicry can reshape industrial design, manufacturing communication and sustainable innovation.
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FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany
Okay, cool. Hello and welcome back to the Future Print podcast. My name is Ed, and in the next few weeks we'll be chatting to a whole host of people who'll be presenting at the AI conference in Munich as part of our FuturePrint Tech Industrial Print Technology for Advanced Manufacturing. Today we're talking to Valerie Heigenauer. Valerie, hi, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_00:I'm doing fine. Thank you. How are you?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, good, thank you. So, do you want to just tell us a little bit about you, a little bit about um FVH lab and what what you kind of do?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, pleasure. So I'm a nature-inspired design specialist, and I help sustainable tech innovators to transform abstract technical advantages into um intuitive and emotionally resonant experiences that instantly communicate their value and like that attract clients, investors, partners. Yeah, so me you may also call it 3D marketing, maybe.
SPEAKER_01:No, it's really it's an interesting thing, you know. Um, a lot of these conversations have been about AI and how we kind of utilize AI, so it's it's great to kind of get your thoughts. So your work, as you say, it kind of blends biomimicry, computational design, and AI-supported research. How do these methods help you transform those complex technologies into clear, tangible concepts for your clients?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so um I create physical link trends by demonstrators um by bridging these tools, biomimicry, AI, digital design, and digital fabrication. Um and like that, um yeah, uh instantly communicate value of technical advantages. So, how do I do that? Um, first of all, biomimicry. I don't know if everyone knows about this, so I just explained it a little bit. It's the practice of emulating nature's genius to solve problems efficiently and sustainably. So um why I use biomimicry in in this context um of physical demonstrators for um tech innovators. So, first of all, it's instantly recognizable, uh yeah, because we understand uh natural forms intuitively. Um you may think about the golden ratio in in shells. So then also it's emotionally engaging. We make um memorable connections um beyond technical specs. So and also it's uh it helps to tell a story about sustainability instead of just showing uh data about uh why it is more sustainable than other technologies, it really helps to understand this intuitively. Um and then also it differentiates um from the market. So if you go to a trade fair and you only see machines and um test samples and cubes, but then you see something that's like um very organic and you instantly recognize natural patterns and um something that's inspired from nature, then it really sets you apart and attracts people. Um, so when I start working with a client, um we first dive into a discovery workshop where we elaborate the key advantages of the technology or the material, depending on what the um client is um is um yeah, promoting. Um we elaborate these these advantages we want to show, and um let's say it's it's a it's a client that has a production technology that is very precise and very efficient. And so now we're looking at nature and searching for narratives that represent these features um very um illustratively. So um in this case, um, so precision and efficiency. The most uh prominent example may be the honeycomb structure, which everyone knows. Um this is um the um a very efficient structure that where bees construct the the honeycomb structure in a very consistent uh wall thickness, and um the like geometric form of the of the structure is like the perfect um ratio of material usage for optimal storage and stability. So um yeah, so this is will be uh an example for this um for these features, and um because of that, the honeycomb structure is also very popular and widely used in the engineering space, also in logos and everything. So I wouldn't take necessarily this example because it's I think overused, just like the Voronoi structure that everyone knows. But there are a lot of other examples to explore. Um, and this is where AI, for example, comes very um helpful because we can browse through research papers and really discover um what kind of solutions nature provides, and um so we can look for examples that represent the technological technological advantages, um, yeah, very um illustratively. So um, and then in the concept conceptualization phase after this um discovery workshop, I take these examples that we found and turn them into compelling concepts that visualize the idea of the demonstrator. So, and therefore I fuse hand um hand sketches with images, prompts um to generate high-quality renderings. And um, the computational design part comes mostly after this conceptual conceptualization phase. Um when we really get into 3D modeling the object that we want to produce. Um, because nature can be described mathematically, and uh if you know the code of natural structures, it can be modeled in 3D using algorithms with uh visual programming tools like Grasshopper. It's like it's uh it's uh um extension of Rhino, 3D modeling software. So, and then I can experiment with it, parametrize it, create hundreds of uh variations of the object, which then can be produced, for example, via 3D printing. Um, and also here there's more and more work done in integrating AI in this process.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so it's so fascinating. I mean, it's it's such a beautiful thing, and and and you know, the the words you just used there. The the if you know the code to the nature, you can create anything. I mean, it's it's such a cool idea and it and it's so powerful as well. So it's really cool the work you do. What um I mean in projects where you you translate those natural patterns like like the honeycomb, although you said it's a bit oversaturated, but for example, the honeycomb. When you when you translate them into digitally fabricated or or 3D printed forms, what role does AI play in enhancing that creativity or or enabling new design possibilities for it?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Um, good question. So um I'm currently exploring uh various tools that allow me to generate an image um of the concept of the demonstrator by fusing images of these natural patterns like the honeycomb structure uh together with a suitable prompt and then directly generate a 3D model from this image, uh, if possible. Uh this is um a matter of exploration, it not always works that well. Um yeah, if that if I have this 3D model, uh I can modify it further and experiment with that, and um either manually or also tools. So, for example, I can take again an image of something from nature I want to mimic and create, for example, a texture texture map and then apply it again to the 3D object. Um yeah, I've done this uh recently with a um 3D printed shoe, which was uh a mixture of uh AI modification and uh manual manual modifications, and it really has um also the colors and the structure of of mushrooms. Um so yeah, I will also show that uh at the um future AI print event. Beautiful to see that, yeah. And um yeah, um there's also more and more AI plugins integrated into 3D modeling software, like uh in Grasshopper, there's for example Raven, it's a very new plugin where you can prompt and and model iteratively, um, but also in Blender, there's more and more AI going on. So yeah, there's a lot to explore. Um and yeah, I think um it really opens up new possibilities um to um do things that hadn't been possible before, and um to really create something that we wouldn't think of. And it's really about playing around, exploring, prototyping. So yeah, that possibilities are endless. It's just important to not get lost in this rabbit hole. Um, but yeah, I think it's it's uh really great.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I mean it's so exciting, isn't it? But yeah, you you gotta you gotta keep your head above the water. Uh yes. Make sure you're kind of using it in an effective way. You're talking about kind of the process there. Um I know that you you support clients from that that early stage ideas to to to the end product, the physical prototype. You're talking about the shoe there. In in that journey, where where where do you feel AI creates the most meaningful value to you and to the customer?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, um, so I have to um add something here because it's not only uh the early aviation and and physical prototypes, um but all it goes beyond that. So I like create holistic concepts um or um um production-ready files of the of the products that they can produce. And I don't only support them, I I work together with them, um, of course, but I do deliver the the whole product. So um yeah, just wanted to uh make that clear. Um and um so concerning the question, the most um meaningful value for AI at the moment, I think, where I is right now, it's most valuable in this first um um conceptually sorry, in the concept phase, it's easier to say like that. Um where we do the research, um, as I said before, like really browsing through data and gathering all the information we need, um browsing through the research papers, connecting the dots, the requirements um that we have, and then also like putting um these ideas uh into uh high-quality rendering that really visualizes the idea effectively. Um because especially with this nature-inspired uh design approach, it's it used to be really hard to visualize the idea, at least for me. Um of course you can sketch it and you can um try to use Photoshop, but with AI, now you can really fuse um natural structures with your sketches, and um it makes it really vivid to the client to see and to understand what you mean, what what you want to express. And then they can also use it this concept uh with um with renderings, with instructions of how to produce it, they can really also use it as a um um marketing concept that it can give it to the marketing team. So yeah, I think it's really uh most valuable in this stage. Um but I hope um um in the future when um AI develops further, um that it can be more used reliably also in the um in the production phase when when we really want to create um implement these concepts into a production-ready product, um, and maybe modifying the design, cleaning the design, um, creating high fidelity surface models, um, for example, um, optimizing the design based on uh data and simul uh yeah simulation. Um yeah, I think this would be would be great to really test it and modify it. And um it's like a digital prototyping or testing um phase that would be very helpful. But right now it I think yeah, at least to my um understanding at the moment it's not quite there yet, but so I like to use it more in the um in the initial phase, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so it's kind of the the form formulating of ideas phase rather than the actual production phase, I suppose. Is that is that is that correct?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, what I saw.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. What what what kind of I mean we've been talking in the past few weeks about AI and and you mentioned their data, and someone previously on the podcast said that data is the food for AI, and and that really struck me as such a a a great way of kind of putting it and and formulating it in people's minds that the AI just feeds off data. If you can give it as much data as you possibly can, it it will only strengthen the product that you the product that you are able to put out in terms of when you say that you use it more in the formulation of ideas, that data that you're putting into it. Would you agree with that statement? Would you say, yeah, that's that's really true, that you know you you just have to give it as much as you possibly can to power it.
SPEAKER_00:I'm not sure if that's if I would agree to that. I think it's more important to to give high quality input, like that data you really uh need, and um that's really reliable. Because I think now we're also struggling with that we have so much data, but we don't know which is correct and which is not. There's a lot of uh fake information going around. So um, and also we see that in the in um some answers of uh um chat GPT or other um tools that the answer is not true. So we really have to be careful what we put in, and um so that's why there are specialized AI tools that really um have a certain data pool where we know this is the data we want and this is the data which is correct, and also then we can specialize more in a certain uh field that rather than like having everything and then getting like a um generic answer that may be wrong. So um, yeah, it's really about the high quality input. And I think it's also important if you want to create something unique that you have to put in something personal and really your uh your thoughts and your uh ideas into um the AI tool that you're using to create something that's not just replicing what's already there, but something that is really unique and innovative. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it still still takes it still takes putting your your your heart into into the work for it to really really go well. Okay, so we're we're coming towards the end, and uh I just I've been asking every guest one question, and I think actually the answer you just gave might be a really nice kind of segue into it. I've been saying more generally, so uh looking at AI more generally, where do you see the next three to five years of AI going? Because some people say in the next two or three years we're gonna see a bit of a breakdown in in AI in terms of because of the the things that are wrong, you know, the the things that that's that's putting out the output that's actually incorrect, that that may have a an effect or an impact on production, that may have an effect on just everyday life. So, what do you see in the next three to five years in AI more generally?
SPEAKER_00:Um, yeah, that's an interesting question. Um concerning these these mistakes and errors that AI does. Um, of course, that's uh a problem, but we are aware.
SPEAKER_01:of that now so I think we can really um um try to change that and um optimize it and really use it in a way that uh it doesn't do these mistakes or we can um yeah we have to be um responsible in the way we're using AI so really just as a tool that we have to check and that we have to uh correct um and that we have to um um be skeptical about so we know that now and um we can use it in a in a different way um so I think um there's a lot of work going on in optimizing that um but also of course it's the the personal mindset that's um important how we use it and then so where is it going in general I mean there's um a lot going on in direction of agents and uh robotics um I think it's very exciting that we can um yeah create uh optimizations with AI that um that um take our our work like the work we don't want to do for example um in a more efficient way um but what I um would like to see is that we're using AI in a way to solve problems that we have um like um we're really good in in innovating and develop developing technologies but I feel like um just like ai is something we develop but actually by by copying our human brains it's it's biomic creep um so we're really good at developing technologies um but so far I feel like it doesn't really serve us on the long run it actually um uh yes it makes things more efficient and um it makes money and uh it helps us but then it also um harms us and exploits resources uh it destroys our our planet um so I really want to want to see um how ai can um um solve these problems and how we can work together with nature and this is like a really tough question and how we can do that but I think with the help of AI because it's so powerful and because it can do things that we're not able to like um um processing a lot of data for example and connecting different factors together uh we can um use technology to um yeah to make production for example uh sustainable and um really um collaborate with nature if we do use ai in the right way um for example by doing biomimicry yeah that's I think that's a a really good final point for this this episode and we're really looking forward to seeing you in Munich I think it's gonna be a really interesting and engaging conversation uh discussion debate about AI and how we use it in print but also how we use it more generally like you do. So Valerie I just want to say thank you very much for coming onto the podcast and we look forward to seeing you in Munich.
SPEAKER_00:Well thank you Ed for having me and yeah I'm also excited and looking forward to the event.
SPEAKER_01:Okay see you later see you there
