1st DESIGNAE International Conference
25-26th March . Aveiro . Portugal
Conference theme
Nature-Centred Biodesign for Regeneration across Disciplines
Conference Tracks
Programme
Participation & Registration
SUBMISSIONS
Important Dates
Opening
15th January 2026
(New) Deadline5th 9th February 2026
Abstract Submission
- Language: all submissions should be in clear, grammatically correct English (American or British, but consistent); all presentations are also expected to be in English.
- Templates: There are no templates for this Conference. The content of the abstract is limited to 1.000 words, submitted directly in the CMT platform.
- Originality & Ethics: submissions for abstracts should be original; declare consent/anonimisation when involving people or data.
- Attendance: At least one author from each accepted work must register for the conference and present the work. If the work is not presented, the abstract will not be included in the book of proceedings, and no reimbursement of travel (for eligible members) will be provided.
- Fees: There are no registration fees. This is an open-event for DESIGNAE network members and non-members.
- Reimbursement: COST policies apply, including support for ITC participants, Young Researchers & Innovators (YRIs), and gender balance. Mobility funding is available for eligible accepted speakers.
How to Submit
Link to CMT platform
Use the button below to access the CMT platform for submitting your proposals
The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as for software development and support.
Conference Tracks
Bridging Life Sciences and Design: from bio-observation to shared knowledge systems
Nature’s resilience and adaptability offer valuable insights for rethinking design practices toward regenerative and sustainable futures. This track explores how learning from living systems can support biodesign approaches that move beyond mechanistic and techno-centric models toward holistic, nature-centered paradigms.
We invite contributions that address the establishment of common ground and communication through shared biodesign terminology, and that examine collaboration and methods at the interface of design and life sciences to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration. Particular attention is given to practices engaging with living materials and biological systems, including sustainable sourcing and biodiversity regeneration.
The track also emphasizes translation, inclusivity, and impact, welcoming research that transforms diverse forms of expertise into accessible methods, tools, and resources. We look for submissions that include applied research, prototypes, or case studies that engage with ethical, ecological, and place-based dimensions to strengthen nature-centred practices for regenerative futures.
Guiding Questions
- How can designers and life-science researchers build common ground and communicate effectively across different terminologies and methods?
- How can collaboration between designers and biological scientists be strengthened by integrating scientific knowledge and methods into design involving living materials and systems?
- How can diverse expertise—local, traditional, academic, and industry—be translated into practical and accessible resources for biodesign?
Keywords (max. 5)
Biodesign terminology, interdisciplinary collaboration; bioversity regeneration; regenerative practices
Suggested references
Bertolotti, E., Gonzaga, S., & Vezzani, V. (2024). Roots and routes on the Island of Madeira: Design practices for learning through nature. UA Editora.
ISBN 978-972-789-906-7
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.
Tsing, A. L., Swanson, H. A., Gan, E., & Bubandt, N. (Eds.). (2017). Arts of living on a damaged planet. University of Minnesota Press.
Biomaterials, Biological Mechanisms and Fabrication Techniques
The natural world offers a rich repertoire of materials, biological mechanisms, and fabrication processes that have inspired technological and material innovation across disciplines. This track presents research and practice at the intersection of biomaterials, bio-based and hybrid materials, biological processes, chemistry, and fabrication techniques.
The track is intentionally inclusive and exploratory, welcoming contributions at different levels of maturity—from fundamental research and experimental workflows to early-stage applications. Fully developed regenerative outcomes are not required. Instead, the track aims to collectively reflect on how material research might shift design practice from predominantly human-centred approaches toward more nature-centred perspectives.
Contributions may address material behaviour, variability, production constraints, sustainability considerations, and translation challenges between laboratory research and applied contexts. By bringing together science, engineering, and design perspectives, the track seeks to foster dialogue on emerging material practices and their role in future regenerative design.
Guiding Questions
- How can materials, biological mechanisms, and fabrication techniques derived from or inspired by nature inform new design and technological approaches?
- What opportunities and limitations arise when translating biological materials or processes from laboratory research to early applications?
Keywords
Biomaterials and hybrid materials; biological mechanisms; materials and fabrication research; biology–design interface
Computation for Biodesign: Models, AI, and Digital Mediations of Living Systems
This session explores how computational approaches connect biological systems with design decision-making in biodesign for regeneration and restoration. We invite contributions that map application areas, test how computational models and AI-supported methods translate biological structure, behaviour, or data into design workflows, and provide grounded case studies engaging real biological constraints.
DESIGNAE considers all scales of regenerative design, from green chemistry to product design and architecture, and up to bio-regional planning.
We particularly encourage contributions that reflect on the limits, frictions, and failure modes encountered when applying computational technologies to living systems, such as challenges of scale, uncertainty, interpretability, or implementation. Submissions may address emerging digital methods, including AI, simulation, or modelling, provided they critically examine how these tools shape responsible intervention in biological and ecological contexts, rather than functioning as stand-alone technical demonstrations.
Guiding Questions
- How do computational tools translate biological complexity into design decisions?
- What are the limits of AI and modelling when working with living systems?
- How can computation support responsible regenerative interventions?
Keywords
Computational design; artificial intelligence; bio-inspired computing; predictive modelling and simulation; scaling tecnologies
Suggested references
Baumgartner, A., Lothar Harzheim, and Claus Mattheck. “SKO (soft kill option): the biological way to find an optimum structure topology.” International Journal of Fatigue 14.6 (1992): 387-393.
Emerging Applied Research in Biodesign for Regeneration
We seek practice-led contributions that develop and prototype nature-centred biodesign solutions across applications in the built environment, materials, product and systems design, healthcare, technology domains, and other related fields. This track addresses pressing challenges and emerging opportunities to advance transformative biodesign research and practice. Submissions should demonstrate interdisciplinary methods, stakeholder engagement, identification of real-world challenges, regenerative biodesign prototyping, and exploration of frontier approaches.
The track highlights cutting-edge applied research that bridges biodesign theory and tangible real world impact for regeneration. We invite contributions that translate biological principles and technologies into regenerative applications capable of driving systemic change. The goal is to illuminate innovative case studies that are actively pushing the boundaries of biodesign from the lab into the living world.
A further core focus is the role of stakeholder engagement in addressing the practical and life-cycle challenges of implementing biodesign solutions, from development and deployment to long-term sustainability and impact.
Guiding Questions
- How can biodesign move from prototype to regenerative real-world application?
- How do interdisciplinary practices, stakeholder engagement, and governance frameworks shape effective applied biodesign implementation?
- What new forms of practice emerge as biodesign moves from the lab into pilot and scaled applications, and what real-world barriers shape its adoption?
- How can biological principles be translated into actionable design systems and technologies?
Keywords
Regenerative applications; biodesign prototypes; interdisciplinary practices; stakeholder engagement; implementation challenges
Suggested References
Crawford, A. (2023). Designer’s Guide to Lab Practice (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003363774
Beckett, R. (2023). Probiotic Cities (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003207917
Dade-Robertson, M. (2020). Living Construction (1st ed., Bio Design). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429431807
Regulation, Law, and Policies: Governance Frameworks for Biodesign and Marine Genetic Resources
This panel addresses the regulation and governance of Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs) within international legal and political frameworks, with a particular focus on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement and its implications for biodesign, ethics, and innovation.
Set against ongoing international negotiations i.e. PrepCom III process, the panel will unpack debates around conservation, access, use, and benefit-sharing of MGRs, including both monetary and non-monetary dimensions. It will examine how these frameworks affect design research and practice that engage with biological resources, traditional knowledge, and emerging technologies.
The session will conclude with a short participatory fishbowl discussion, inviting the audience to co-surface tensions, ethical questions, and unresolved issues that can inform future, more targeted DESIGNAE activities on regulation, governance, and responsible innovation.
Guiding Questions
- How can MGR benefit-sharing be operationalized to support differentiated equity and capacity-building needs (e.g., SIDS/LDCs/LLDCs)?
- How should the integration of conventional scientific knowledge and traditional and Indigenous knowledge be approached in MGR governance, and what ethical questions does this raise for biodesign and innovation?
Keywords (max. 5)
Marine Genetic Resources; benefit-sharing; international law; Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ); bioethics
Suggested References
United Nations. Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction. A/CONF.232/2023/4 (2023). https://docs.un.org/en/a/conf.232/2023/4
Communicating Regeneration and Education Initiatives
This track invites contributions that support the early-stage objectives of DESIGNAE by critically reflecting on dissemination, communication, and training practices shaping the emerging field of regenerative biodesign.
It seeks to collect and critically reflect on best practices and case studies in scientific communication that effectively translate complex, interdisciplinary biodesign concepts for diverse audiences, including researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the general public.
As regenerative biodesign integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines, clear and accessible communication becomes essential to foster collaboration. This track welcomes contributions addressing communication tools, narrative strategies, visual languages, open-access platforms, and training frameworks that facilitate knowledge transfer. Particular attention is given to examples emerging from workshops, training schools, webinars, laboratory exchanges, and Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs).
Submissions that demonstrate how communication practices contribute to shared vocabularies, interdisciplinary dialogue, and inclusive engagement across sectors, including academic and non-academic stakeholders, are especially encouraged.
Keywords
Regenerative biodesign communication; interdisciplinary education; dissemination practices; capacity building; shared vocabularies
Suggested References
European Commission (2016). Open Innovation, Open Science, Open to the World.
COST Association (various). Guidelines for Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication.
Bucchi, M., & Trench, B. (2014). Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology.
Contact
Any queries about the conference should be directed to:
COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation.
For more information visit the COST website > www.cost.eu