Advancing biomimetic materials through ISO standards

This paper discusses the challenges and opportunities of developing standards for biomimetic materials, based on the authors experience with International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/Technical Committee 266 Biomimetics. With the expansion of global trade, international standards are increasingly called on to protect the interests of consumers, improve business productivity and facilitate trade. In the past, standards typically addressed form/fit/function specifications and were associated with mature industries. Recently some ISO standards are focusing on processes, quality and consistency, which can support advances in emerging fields. ISO has the potential to advance biomimetic materials and biomimetics in general by developing and promoting frameworks that reflect the evolving nature of biomimetics.