Learning from nature - it's time to listen
- Mar 24
- 2 min read
Announcement of the twelfth event in the "enter the future" series
24.03.2026
The Wittenstein Foundation invites you to the twelfth event in the "enter the future" series on Thursday, 16 April 2026, at 6 pm at the TauberPhilharmonie Weikersheim and to participate online via livestream. The event is dedicated to a topic that is more urgent than ever in view of the global ecological, technological and social challenges: How can we learn from nature - and what does it mean to really listen to it?
The Wittenstein Foundation welcomes Prof. Dr Ulmar Grafe, a world-renowned biologist and specialist in bioinspiration and bionics, as a speaker. He teaches at the University of Brunei Darussalam (Borneo) and is a private lecturer at the University of Würzburg. His decades of research have taken him to tropical ecosystems such as the rainforests of Borneo and is one of the most important international works on the interactions between biology and technology.
Under the title "Learning from nature - it's time to listen", Professor Grafe will shed light on, among other things
how nature has produced cutting-edge evolutionary solutions over millions of years,
how technical innovations can emerge from these solutions,
why natural structures, materials and processes are models for sustainable technologies,
and why it is crucial to incorporate ecological intelligence into the future planning of science, business and society.
Exhibits from research
A special highlight: Professor Grafe will bring along numerous exhibits from his research areas, including biological models, demonstrations of bionic principles and examples of nature-inspired technical applications. This will give visitors a rare, tangible insight into the world of biological innovation - and the enormous potential it offers for future technologies.
Dialogue format with room for impulses
As with all events in the "enter the future" series, dialogue will once again take centre stage. Following the keynote speech, the Wittenstein Foundation invites the audience to contribute questions and perspectives. The event, moderated by Benedikt Hofmann (editor-in-chief of MM MaschinenMarkt), will be offered in hybrid form, so that participation is possible both on site and online. You can register via the foundation's website atwww.wittenstein-stiftung.de/veranstaltungen . Participation is free of charge.
Downloads
© Ulmar Grafe private
Prof Dr Ulmar Grafe, Professor of Biology at the University of Brunei Darussalam (Borneo) and private lecturer at the University of Würzburg
Comments