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durable and nondurable goods due to the increased use of new bioinspired materials and processes. Also,there is a strong link between bioinspired innovation and energy; the transportation, oil and gas, and utilityindustries all stand to benefit from, or be transformed by, bioinspired innovation. In total, these sectorsrepresent $113 billion—more than a quarter of the total forecasted GDP related to bioinspired innovation.While bioinspired products will impact the economic performance of fields as diverse as transportation,electronics, and food manufacturing, they will also increase employment in these sectors. Reflecting theexpected penetration in various industries, bioinspired innovation could generate approximately 2 millionjobs by 2030 (see Figure 2).TRACKING ACTIVITY IN BIOINSPIRED INNOVATIONThe Da Vinci Index 2.0, which was created by the Institute, is derived from a comprehensive databasethat uses advanced methodology and information to measure activity in bioinspiration, biomimicry, andbiomimetics. The Index monitors the number of U.S. patents issued, scholarly articles published, grantsawarded by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, and the value of thosegrants for any given period. By extension, the Index offers insight into technologies in development atuniversities, research labs, and corporations. Granular data within the Index provides information onwhich fields of study are receiving the most attention and which regions of the world are most active inbioinspired innovation.Figure 3. Da Vinci Index Growth Over Time10001100%1000%800Da Vinci Index 2.0 (Year 2000 = 100)Growth in U.S. Utility Patents (Year 2000 as baseline)Growth in Bioinspired Patents (Year 2000 as baseline)741%900%800%Da Vinci Index 2.0600400308%469%700%600%500%400%300%200013%18%21%54%44%100%54%62%66%83%100%2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014eYearsSource: FBEI; U.S. Patent and Trademark Office200%100%0%The Da Vinci Index 2.0 (see Figure 3) is estimated to have reached a record high of just over 900 in 2014(where the year 2000 equals 100), mainly due to a surge in published scholarly articles and steady growthof patents. The strong trend indicates the continued growth of bioinspired research and technologydevelopment. Compared to the keen interest recently expressed in “green tech,” bioinspired innovationoffers less risk since it is less reliant on varying regulations (e.g., mandates for alternative energy12Tapping into Nature