NEW TECH FOODS

Two new open-access facilities in the Netherlands – Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF) in Ede and Cultivate at Scale (CaS) in Maastricht – are set to strengthen the country’s position in cellular agriculture and precision fermentation.

Both sites were showcased last week through public events aimed at engaging stakeholders and previewing the capabilities of the infrastructure.

Biotechnology fermentation factory

Though still under construction, the BFF facility hosted over 180 invited guests at its kick-off event. The site, supported by NIZO Food Research, will focus on scale-up services for precision fermentation and is integrated with NIZO’s existing food-grade R&D and pilot plant operations.

Marcel Oogink, managing director of BFF, said: “Today’s event highlighted the enthusiasm and collaboration driving this field forward. Even before BFF is fully built, we are already working with partners to bring next-generation food innovations to life.”

Nikolaas Vles, CEO of NIZO, added: "The energy at today’s event reflects the momentum we’re seeing across the cellular agriculture field. With our expertise in food-grade process development and application, NIZO is proud to help lay the foundation for the BFF and support companies on their journey from concept to scalable, real-world solutions. This collaboration-driven approach is how we accelerate impact."

Cultivate at Scale

Meanwhile, Cultivate at Scale (CaS) in Maastricht is fully operational and hosted an Open House event to showcase its cell culture bioprocessing capabilities. The facility supports companies scaling processes for products such as cultivated meat, fish, dairy, leather and other cell-based materials.

CaS offers infrastructure and services for bioprocess optimisation, media development, regulatory support and pilot production. It has already been used for multiple pilot runs and contributed to several Novel Foods dossiers.

Jaco van der Merwe, managing director of CaS, commented: “We were proud to open our doors and show how CaS is helping companies scale safely, efficiently, and collaboratively. The strong interest today confirms the importance of openaccess infrastructure in accelerating this industry.”

Part of the national programme

BFF and CaS are part of the Netherlands’ national Cellular Agriculture programme (CAN), funded by the National Growth Fund. The initiative aims to lower barriers to innovation and help companies move from research to commercial-scale production without the need for major upfront investment.

The Netherlands already hosts established research, regulatory expertise and public-private partnerships in cellular agriculture. The launch of these scale-up facilities further supports its role as a leader in advancing sustainable food technologies.

Top image: © BFF ede