Nature has long served as a blueprint for engineering breakthroughs from the kingfisher-inspired design of Japan’s Bullet Train to termite mounds that inform energy-efficient buildings. Siemens Digital Industries is taking this concept further by combining biomimicry with digital technology to tackle sustainability challenges across entire industries. Eryn Devola, Head of Sustainability at Siemens, explains how looking beyond individual components to view entire systems can reveal powerful opportunities to reduce waste, optimise processes, and rethink how we measure success.

One powerful example is Ekonoke, a company growing hops in fully controlled indoor environments. With Siemens’ support, Ekonoke scaled their production by using digital tools to simulate and refine every element of their process before building physical systems. By designing their operations to be co-located with breweries, they’re able to recycle CO₂ and wastewater, turning industrial by-products into valuable resources. Their approach demonstrates how digitalisation, circular design, and proximity-based supply chains can dramatically lower environmental footprints while improving reliability and yield.

Finland-based Spinnova shows similar potential in the textile sector, producing sustainable fibre from wood pulp and agricultural waste without harmful chemicals. Inspired by spider silk and supported by Siemens, Spinnova used digital twins to perfect both product design and factory layout. Their commitment to full traceability and renewable energy sets a high bar for transparency in manufacturing. Both Ekonoke and Spinnova prove that when companies think holistically across the full lifecycle and supply chain sustainability becomes not just an add-on, but a foundation for smarter, more resilient business.

Eryn Devola, Head of Sustainability, Siemens Digital Industries

Ines Sagrario, CEO and Co-founder, Ekonoke

Juha Salmela, CTO and Co-founder, Spinnova

Siemens Digital Industries (DI) empowers companies of all sizes in the process and discrete manufacturing industries to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformation across the entire value chain. Siemens’ cutting-edge automation and software portfolio revolutionizes the design, realization and optimization of products and production. And with Siemens Xcelerator – the open digital business platform – this process is made even easier, faster, and more scalable. Along with our partners and ecosystem, Siemens Digital Industries enables customers to become a sustainable digital enterprise. Siemens Digital Industries has a workforce of about 70,000 people worldwide.

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