Material Meetup KYOTO vol.18
Thinking Local for Ethical Spaces, Buildings and Materials
- feat. NaturLoop & Swissnex

Held in both Tokyo and Kyoto, the popular Material Meetup has been continuously held as a flash point to foster open collaboration between materials and creators. Material Meetup Kyoto Vol. 18 centers around the theme of 「Thinking Local for Ethical Spaces, Buildings and Material」

In 2022, an influx of different sustainable materials and products were launched into the market. This meetup, we discuss materials that aren’t just sustainable, but also usable, in terms of function, quality and transport costs, in architecture and space design. 

This event is held in collaboration with Swissnex, a Swiss global network connecting Switzerland and the world in education, research and innovation. Thus we will also have the opportunity to hear about the potential of Japan’s market and manufacturing industry from a foreign perspective.

• What expectations and hopes do foreign ethical material makers and green tech startups have for the Japanese market and technology?
• Social demands and future possibilities for the development of sustainable biomaterials.
• Issues arising from the practical application of ethical materials in architecture and spatial design.

• Architects and spatial designers looking for sustainable materials.
• Creators and craftsmen searching for new materials.
• Those involved in craft or manufacturing projects with a sustainable focus.
• Manufacturers with unique technologies for the production and development of biomaterials.
• Researchers looking into the structure and function of the natural world for application in the fields of science, technology and design.

Material Meetup is a gathering of manufacturers, craftsmen, and creators involved in manufacturing with the theme of “material”.

• People who “develop materials” that are in search of possibilities and demands in new areas.
• People who “manufacture materials” that have access to unique processing techniques.
• People who “research materials” that aim for a sustainable society.
• People who “design from materials” that are in search of various materials that can be used for complex designs, including with their function, texture, and designability.

From the point of view of “design and technology” and also “society and material”, those types of people cross barriers in the business world to openly interact with each other, and they are continuously creating opportunities for new projects to come into being.

By learning about the traits and charms of a material that cannot be understood merely from catalog specs, everyone thinks about new scenarios where those materials are likely to be used. With “material” at its core, this is a place where the seeds of projects and collaborations that traverse fields are repeatedly occurring simultaneously. That is what Material Meetup is. Ever since it began in 2018, differing themes have been prepared and continuously held at each event in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Find more information about previous Material Meetups here