Synbio Powerlabs and Ivy Farm Technologies have announced a new scale-up and manufacturing partnership aimed at pioneering the use of mammalian cells in large food-grade fermenters at Synbio’s new hub.

With the support of a €2.99 million grant from the Finnish government, Synbio Powerlabs is transforming a large food-grade facility, located near Helsinki, into a multi-purpose site for food innovation.

The new facility, due to go live in early 2025, has been designed to help scale the production capabilities of start-ups operating in innovative industries such as precision fermentation, biomass fermentation and cell-based meat.

The facility has pilot scale equipment and production scales at 10,000 litres and 27,000 litres and will also have six, 250,000 litre manufacturing vessels, which, once opened, will make it the largest facility of its kind in the world.

As part of this partnership, Ivy Farm will be the first to demonstrate the scalability of mammalian cells in food-grade vessels at this level of output. For Ivy Farm, this partnership offers a strategic advantage, mitigating CAPEX costs and risks associated with scaling up production by gaining access to Synbio Powerlabs' expertise and existing facilities.

This next phase of the partnership will focus on tech transfer and scaling up to 10,000-litre fermenters, with plans to push the envelope on production scales and efficiencies over the coming years.

The new partnership was publicly announced at Iceland Innovation Week on Thursday (15 May), where Ivy Farm co-hosted the first-ever tasting of cultivated beef in the Nordics with ORF Genetics, a producer of recombinant animal growth factors derived from barley seeds.

The event was attended by Icelandic government officials and other food innovators and tech leaders, where Ivy Farm’s cultured Angus beef was showcased with an exclusive tasting for a select few.

Richard Dillon, CEO at Ivy Farm Technologies, said: "The partnership with Synbio Powerlabs represents a significant milestone for Ivy Farm and our ambitions to scale cultivated meat. By leveraging Synbio Powerlabs' expertise and cutting-edge facilities, we are de-risking our scale-up journey with a CAPEX light approach. Ivy Farm is committed to partnering with fermentation experts and licensing our technology in order to accelerate the transition to cultivated meat globally.”

Alejandro Antalich, chairman of Synbio Powerlabs, added: “Through this partnership with Ivy Farm Technologies, we aim to pioneer a new frontier in high-quality food manufacturing by harnessing the potential of mammalian cells within large fermenters, offering sustainable solutions that meet the growing demands of a rapidly expanding population. By converging our cutting-edge technology and innovative thinking, we are not only revolutionising the way meat is produced but also paving the way for a more efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly approach to mass-scale food production.”

He continued: “With the support of Clingate Oy and the Finnish government, we are proud to lead the charge in transforming our vision into reality, positioning ourselves as a global leader in food innovation. Together with Ivy Farm Technologies, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible and shaping the future of food.”

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