What is the Bionics Competence Network (BIOKON)?

Goals Members Services Committees

Goals

State: June 2001

The Bionics Competence Network (BIOKON) hosts the 28 major players in the field of bionics and biomimetics in Germany. It is a federally funded project under the auspices of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research. The aim of BIOKON is to demonstrate the possibilities of bionics to business and industry, science, and the general public, and subsequently tap its full potential.
Founded in 2001, BIOKON has entered its second stage in June, 2004. The group of six founding centers has since been expanded by 28 additional institutes and research facilities with outstanding competences in the field of bionics.
This nationwide network thus encompasses the most important research groups in bionics and provides an ideal forum for scientific exchange, the development of curriculae for primary, secondary, and tertiary education as well as providing qualified contacts for inquiries from the industry.
Outstanding events and activities with participation of BIOKON in 2004 and 2005 ( PDF

191 KB), in German).

State: August 2005
28 players in 20 locations

28 major players in the field of bionics and biomimetics in Germany

Aachen, Bionik	Berlin, BIOKONeV	Bad-Nenndorf, ARCHTECH	Bayreuth, Biomaterialien	Bath, University
Berlin, Bionik	Berlin, EvoLogics	Berlin, GFaI	Berlin, INPRO	Berlin, RundC
Bielefeld, ELAN	Bielefeld, Kybernetik	Bochum, DO	Bochum, Zoologie	Bonn, NeesInstitut
Bonn, Neurobiologie	Bremen, BIC	Bremen, DfKI	Bremen, IFAM	Bremerhaven, AWI
Darmstadt, BitZ	Darmstadt, SLA	Denkendorf, ITV	Dresden, Botanik	Dübendorf, EMPA
Freiburg i. Br., Biologie	Freising, TU-Zoologie	Göttingen, Forst	Ilmenau, Biomechatronik	Ingolstadt, ITD
Jandelsbrunn, Bayonik	Jena, Lauflabor	Karlsruhe, Biomechanik	Linz, FerRobotics	Lohmar, JH
Magdeburg, Design	Magdeburg, Robotik	Mannheim, LTA	Mannheim, IKC	Mannheim, VT
Kufstein, BionicEngineering	München, FutureVision	Idar-Oberstein, TB-Medien	Nieklitz, NICOL	Oberhausen, UMSICHT
Köln, ChH	Saarbrücken, Architektur	Saarbrücken, Biologie	Saarbrücken, InPEO	Saarbrücken, StreamForm
Stuttgart, StuttArch	Stuttgart, MPI	Stahnsdorf, Dr.Mirtsch	Tübingen, Geologie	Tübingen, Zoologie
Ulm, BioFuture	Velten, HJ	Heidelberg, ThS	Zürich, AILab

Services

BIOKON provides contacts for anyone interested from the industry, the educational sector, or the media. As a competence network, we offer the following services:

Advice on any kind of queries related to bionics, e.g. the technical implementation of biological solutions.
Scientific consulting as accompanying measure for industrial projects.
Search for competent experts and project partners for the acquisition of third-party funding for innovative research & development projects.
Qualified organization of bionics-related events as well as planning and carrying out workshops on bionics.
Establishment of a biological-technical database of analogies of and abstractions from natural models.
Systematization of bionics and further development of competence of bionics on environmental issues
Public relations, academic education, and professional coaching.
Consulting in the educational sector, establishment of new study courses, bionics in primary and secondary education.
International cooperations with other networks and founding of an European Society of Bionics (Bionics-EuNet).

Committees

In order to provide the abovementioned services, a number of committees have been established in the second phase of the BIOKON project. These committees are either permanent or topical. The permanent ones are set up for the duration of the whole project, whereas the topical ones are pragmatically formed and concluded, based on need and demand.

The general tasks of the committees are:

Providing overviews, gauging, and setting trends
Gathering and focusing potentials within BIOKON
Connecting and integrating potentials within BIOKON
Accessing, utilizing, and initiating funding opportunities if possible
Qualified consulting for industrial facilities and sponsors
Creating synergies with other fields of expertise
Promoting the integration of the BIOKON concept and support (cooperation with executive members)
Progress reports collected centrally by the coordination bureau every six months, summarized in a general report


Permanent committees
A1	Media, Internet, databases, public relations, press and the Bionic-film-project
A2	General education and professional coaching, methodology, didactics
A3	Exhibitions, fairs, congresses, workshops, tutorials, exhibits
A4	Industrial implementation


Topical committees
B1	Architecture, design
B2	Light-weight constructions, materials
B3	Surfaces and interfaces - structures and functions
B4	Fluid dynamics, flying, swimming, robotics, DAMS
B5	Biomechatronics, biomedical technology, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), actuatorics, robotics
B6	Sensorics, information processing, communication
B7	Bionic optimization methods

All committees are organized with a chairing BIOKON member and active participating centers, represented by the respective members and facilities. The participation in a particular committee reflects the specific focus or interest of a member within the field of bionics. In case your are looking for a contact for an industrial or educational project, please get in touch either by e-mailing BIOKON directly or by approaching a local representative of BIOKON in the various centers and locations.


A list of the members of the permanent committees (A):
A1	Media, internet, data bases and public relations
Chair:		Berlin, TU FG Bionik
Members:		Berlin, Fa.EvoLogics
		Bonn, Uni Nees-Institut
		Bremen, HS BIC
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		Freiburg, Uni Biologie
		Karlsruhe, FZ Biomechanik
		München, Bionic Engineering
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung
		Saarbrücken, Uni Biologie
A2	Tertiary education and advanced training, methodology and didactics
Chair:		Bremen, HS BIC
Members:		Aachen, RWTH Zentrum Bionik
		Bayreuth, Uni LS Biomaterialien
		Berlin, TU FG Bionik
		Bochum, D.O. Architektur
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		Freiburg, Uni Biologie
		Freising, TU München Zoologie
		Ilmenau, TU Biomechatronik
		München, Bionic Engineering
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung
		Saarbrücken, Uni Biologie
A3	Exhibitons, fairs, congresses, workshops, tutorials, exhibits
Chair:		Saarbrücken, Uni Biologie
Members:		Berlin, Fa.EvoLogics
		Berlin, TU FG Bionik
		Bonn, Uni Nees-Institut
		Bremen, HS BIC
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		Denkendorf, ITV
		Freiburg, Uni Biologie
		München, Bionic Engineering
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung
A4	Industrial implementation
Chair:		Berlin, Fa.EvoLogics
Members:		Bochum, D.O. Architektur
		Bonn, Uni Nees-Institut
		Bremerhaven, AWI
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		Denkendorf, ITV
		Ilmenau, TU Biomechatronik
		Karlsruhe, FZ Biomechanik
		Magdeburg, FH Design
		Magdeburg, FhG IFF Robotersysteme
		Mannheim, HS IKC
		München, Bionic Engineering
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung


A list of the members of the topical committees (B):
B1	Architektur, Design
Chair:		Saarbrücken, HTW Architektur
Members:		Oberhausen, FhG UMSICHT
		Bad-Nenndorf, ARCH+TECH
		Bochum, Architekturbüro
		Bremerhaven, AWI
		Magdeburg, HS FB Design
		Mannheim, HS IKC
B2	Light-weight constructions, materials
Chairs:		Karlsruhe, FZ Biomechanik
		Freiburg, Uni Biologie
Members:		Aachen, RWTH Zentrum Bionik
		Bremen, HS BIC
		Bremerhaven, AWI
		Denkendorf, ITV
		Ilmenau, TU Biomechatronik
		Ingolstadt, Fh Technik und Design
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung
		Tübingen, Uni Geologie
B3	Surfaces and interfaces - structures and functions
Chair:		Dresden, TU Botanik
Members:		Aachen, RWTH Zentrum Bionik
		Bayreuth, Uni LS Biomaterialien
		Bonn, Uni Nees-Institut
		Bremen, HS BIC
		Bremen, FhG IFAM
		Bremerhaven, AWI
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		Denkendorf, ITV
		Mannheim, HS IKC
		München, Bionic Engineering
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung
		Stuttgart, MPI
		Tübingen, Uni Geologie
B4	Fluid dynamics, flying, swimming, robotics, DAMS
Chair:		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
Members:		Aachen, RWTH Zentrum Bionik
		Berlin, Fa.EvoLogics
		Berlin, TU FG Bionik
		Bremen, HS BIC
		Bonn, Uni Neurobiologie
		Freising, TU München Zoologie
		Magdeburg, FhG IFF Robotersysteme
		Saarbrücken, Uni Biologie
		Tübingen, Uni Geologie
		Ulm, Uni BioFuture
B5	Biomechatronics, biomedical technology, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), actuatorics, robotics
Chair:		Ilmenau, TU Biomechatronik
Members:		Berlin, Fa.EvoLogics
		Berlin, TU FG Bionik
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		Denkendorf, ITV
		Freising, TU München Zoologie
		Magdeburg, FhG IFF Robotersysteme
B6	Sensorics, information processing, communication
Chair:		Bonn, Uni Neurobiologie
Members:		Aachen, RWTH Zentrum Bionik
		Berlin, Fa.EvoLogics
		Berlin, TU FG Bionik
		Bielefeld, Uni Kybernetik
		Bochum, Uni Zoologie
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		Freising, TU München Zoologie
		Goettingen, Uni Forstzoologie
		Ilmenau, TU Biomechatronik
		Magdeburg, FhG IFF Robotersysteme
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung
B7	Bionic optimization methods
Chair:		Karlsruhe, FZ Biomechanik
Members:		Berlin, INPRO
		Berlin, TU FG Bionik
		Darmstadt, TU BitZ
		München, Bionic Engineering
		Nieklitz, NICOL-Stiftung