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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Q&A with Dr. Arndt Pechstein


Hi,

As promised at the end of the previous article, I had a small Q&A session with Dr. Arndt Pechstein. Here is the short version of the same for you all,


0. A few words about your educational background? 
Arndt: I hold a Diploma in Biochemistry & Biotechnology and a PhD in Neuroscience from the Free University of Berlin. After that I did a Post-Doc in Neurobiochemistry (Karolinska Institute and FMP Berlin). I am also a Certified Biomimicry Specialist (Biomimicry 3.8 Institute, USA)



1. Your background is in Neuroscience / Biochemistry, what made you consider a startup in Biomimicry?

Arndt: I have several reasons for that
First, passion & impact. 
I always felt that basic research alone was not my passion. I wanted to to something more towards application and especially towards doing good. Having a real impact on people or the world was one of my main drivers. My motto is "Don't just be successful, be significant!" So my main drivers are: Find your passion, do something truly meaningful, inspire others.

Second, people. 
I wanted to work more with people. Science (especially wetlab work) while it is fun can still be lonesome at times. I am a social person and I enjoy meeting new people and networking. I love to be inspired by smart and diverse people that challenge my views and push the boundaries of thinking. Also, I was always very much attracted by science communication and teaching. That is something that is definitely underdeveloped in science.

Third, creativity, collaboration, multidisciplinarity. 
While propagated a lot in science these essential elements of progress and innovation are not sufficiently developed and lived in science. There is no true culture that creates an environment conducive to creativity. In contrary, looking at the pressurized publication system creativity is rather hindered. The magic happens if you let multi-disciplinary teams work together creatively and cross-disciplinarily. This requires the appropriate mind-set and space. Sterile hallways and neutral meeting rooms are not particularly suitable.

Forth, conditions within science
The conditions within the academic apparatus: impact factor is all that counts and dictate who gets positions and grants. As such too often sexy topics that are fashionable (and thus better funded) are becoming mainstream. Open-mindedness and creativity are hindered.


 2. What type of work does Biomimicry Germany do?
Arndt: The vision of biomimicry is to create a resilient, adaptive, and thriving economy inspired by nature’s designs, strategies, and systems. Biomimicry serves as a guiding framework for a holistic approach that transforms our society sustainably, integrating resilient strategies into our economy, products, and organizations. as such we focus on several aspects:

1. Education & Outreach: We train students, pupils, professionals and the public in biomimicry. We teach both the mindset behind and the methodology of biomimicry design thinking and sustainability integration. We also teamed up with museums, organizations and botanical gardens. Specifically, we will be holding a workshop series on "Bioinspiration" together with the Natural History Museum Berlin in October. We just won the "German Landmark Award" "Land der Ideen: ausgezeichneter Ort 2014/15" for one of our education projects: http://www.land-der-ideen.de/ausgezeichnete-orte/preistraeger/naturaum-innovative-techlabor-vom-land

2. Collaborative Spaces: We provide a platform (and space) to work collaboratively on biomimetic research and application projects. We teamed up with various organizations to facilitate exchange and multi-expertise.

3. Professional Nexus: We organize regular events to not only inform the public but to also specifically invite professionals from all fields and sectors to meet and network around biomimetic ideas thus forming a nexus and knowledge hub for creative exchange, inspiration, and collaboration.

4. European Biomimicry Alliance: We are co-founders of a European network of Biomimicry professionals working together trans-nationally.

5. Consulting: As freelance consultants, we also consult with clients to rethink the products and services of the future. As Biomimicry Germany is a non-profit organization, we separate this function. Yet, we use our expertise and leverage the network to create sustainable solutions inspired by natural systems.



3. What is your advice to people seeking a career in new-upcoming areas as a startup?
Arndt: Follow your passion! Starting a new idea is not an easy thing. You will have to work long hours (at least in the beginning), encounter obstacles and failures (from which you can grow and learn) and meet unexpected turns. If you truly enjoy what you are doing that helps you to find the intrinsic motivation to carry on. It's not a job (otherwise find a position somewhere else) - it is what you truly care about and love to do. It is part of your life. This attitude helps you to overcome hurdles and keeps you going on.

Motivation only comes from within. Don't seek external motivators (money, growth etc.). You may (and should) aim for these things obviously to build a sustainable business but don't be driven by those things. What counts is you intrinsic motivation and the conviction that you will succeed. 
Find out what you are good at and build on that. Paired with passion this is an almost irresistible combination and the formula for luck and success. What you are good at is what you are most likely to be successful in and it is obvious and convincing to others. That boosts your motivation and you are entering a virtuous (NOT vicious!) circle.


If you have any more questions for Arndt, you can contact him on his website, or Facebook Page.

And stay tuned for more articles and Q&A from Tech Open Air, Berlin 2014, until then auf Wiedersehen !!

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