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For years, designers and material scientists at Aalto University have collaborated on fascinating bio-based material experiments – from spider silk to nanocellulose lamps and flower leather.

But both industry and consumers are increasingly demanding more sustainable alternatives for production and retail. The world isn’t becoming fully digital – we still need clothes, homes, and built environments, now and in the future – all within the limits of what our planet can sustain.

The next big questions are: How can the scaling and industrialisation of bio-based materials be accelerated? How would their use in homes change how we live? And how can the life cycle and reuse of these materials be designed to truly meet the demands of a circular economy? Could there be also mid-scale production processes?

‘The exhibition has two goals: to push material development forward by critically considering how these materials work in different applications, and to encourage visitors to make both small and large-scale sustainability shifts in their everyday lives, says Professor Pirjo Kääriäinen.