Nature provides a powerful source of inspiration for the design of advanced materials and structures [1]. Biological systems, from bone, tendon, and shell to plant stems and protective cocoons, achieve combinations of strength, toughness, adaptability, and multifunctionality unmatched by synthetic systems. These remarkable properties arise from hierarchical organisation, compositional gradients, and nonlinear mechanics across multiple scales. Translating these principles provides a new paradigm for engineering lighter, safer, and more sustainable technologies across diverse industries. This minisymposium will highlight advances in bioinspired design and optimisation, bridging fundamental science and practical engineering applications. Topics of interest include the discovery of novel architectures, multiscale biomechanics of natural materials, topology optimisation and evolutionary algorithms, complex nonlinear loading, fabrication of complex structures by additive manufacturing, and emerging applications in energy-efficient transport, aerospace safety, biomedical devices, and sustainable manufacturing. By uniting expertise in computational mechanics, materials science, design optimisation, and advanced manufacturing, this minisymposium will provide a forum to accelerate the translation of biological principles into next-generation materials and systems with global impact.