BMW opens Materia exhibit on biomaterials
By Michael Nash2021-11-01T15:19:00
Sustainability is at the core of a new exhibition from BMW, highlighting potential uses for biomaterials in vehicles and beyond
BMW has opened a public exhibition at The Grove in Los Angeles to showcase potential uses for biomaterials. Called ‘Materia’, the idea is to explore eco-friendly alternative materials that can be used in a circular economy and benefit a variety of industries including, but not limited to, automotive.
A total of eight different materials are featured at the exhibition, including a biopolymer called chitosan that is sourced from exoskeletons of shellfish, and a mushroom root network called mycelium. There is also bioluminescent algae, hemp wood, hemp hurds, moss, cork, and a natural blue dye called spira. All of the materials can be found within driving distance of BMW’s Designworks studio in California.