Looking back at Biofab Fair 2025
Last week marked Foamlab’s very first public appearance at Biofab Fair organised by Biofabricate during the London Design Festival. What an experience it was!
Meeting the community
Our booth became a gathering point for a wonderfully diverse audience from interior designers and architects to fashion designers, as well as biodesign-enthusiasts, including curators of materials libraries. This diversity highlighted how biofabricated materials are no longer niche but increasingly relevant across industries.
Equally exciting was meeting fellow bacterial cellulose pioneers including Polybion, Modern Synthesis, Gozen, and Gob. While each of us is taking a different approach to what bacterial cellulose can become, it reinforced the sense that we are part of a growing ecosystem: one that’s collectively pushing bacterial cellulose-based materials forward and into the market. We all know we have only just scratched the surface of what is remarkably versatile and regenerative resource could become.
Touch, feel, imagine
The highlight? Watching visitors touch and feel our foam samples. People were instantly drawn in by the surprising lightness, the soft-yet-defined resolution, and the almost skin-like sensory quality of the material. Many said it was unlike anything they had ever experienced before. The variety of colors, densities, textures, and insulation properties in our samples sparked lively conversations about possible applications.
It once more confirmed that materials don’t just need to be shown — they need to be experienced.
Conversations that matter
Biofab Fair wasn’t only about materials; it was also about the broader questions shaping this exciting field at the crossovers of biology and design. One emerging topic that resonated with many was the role of AI in bioinnovation.
How can AI accelerate the pace of biodesign? How should startups and scale-ups begin to integrate it responsibly?
One particularly inspiring session was the workshop by Orkan Telhan, PhD, titled “AI as Designer, Farmer, and CFO for Biomaterials”. The workshop showcased a custom AI framework designed to support creatives and founders in bringing new biomaterials to market.
On stage: the future of biodesign
Our Product Manager Alice Buso also had the honor of joining a panel discussion titled Culturing led by Dr. Amy Congdon, alongside Prof. Carole Collet (Central Saint Martins UAL), Prof. Martyn Dade-Robertson (Northumbria University), and Karen Ingram. Together, they explored the question: “Who is designing the biodesigners of the future?”
Here is Alice’s key takeaway from the discussion.
Blurring boundaries between design, biology, and materials is not only inevitable but essential.
Yet, it comes with responsibility: designers need to reflect on what they uniquely bring to the table while also understanding what others — scientists, engineers, biologists — contribute. The real acceleration of bioinnovation happens when we cultivate a shared vocabulary and collaborative culture.
Learn to navigate complexity — and build tools and systems that others can actually use, to bring bioinnovations forward.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to the Biofabricate team for bringing this community together, curating such an inspiring program, and creating the space for new conversations, collaborations, and futures.
