This article explores at first bionics (the imitation or abstraction
of the “inventions” of nature) and then focuses on synthetic
biology—which, this author insists, will be as relevant to engineering
development and industry as the silicon chip was during
the last 50 years [1,2]. While concepts such as smart cities and
Industry 4.0 shine a spotlight on the process states enabled by
digital/Web-based technologies, the changes brought about by
synthetic biology are more fundamental and foreshadow a tectonic,
disruptive, and even geostrategic shift: Industry 5.0.