Scotland Gets Its First Open-Access 300L Fermenter Thanks to £847K Grant – vegconomist

Scotland’s biotechnology sector is celebrating the launch of the country’s first open-access 300-litre fermenter, which has been installed thanks to an £847,000 grant from the national economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise.

The fermenter, which is a type of bioreactor used to cultivate microorganisms, is located at the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre’s (IBioIC) FlexBIO scale-up facility at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. It expands IBioIC’s scale-up capabilities significantly, increasing upstream bioprocessing capacity tenfold from 30 to 300 litres.

The new fermenter facility aims to accelerate the growth of industrial biotechnology in Scotland, while addressing investment challenges and access issues faced by aspiring bio-based manufacturing companies. It can be used for the bioprocessing of active ingredients like yeast, bacteria, and algae, enabling the development of end products such as cultivated meat, alternative proteins, natural dyes and fibres for sustainable textiles, and bio-based ingredients for medicines and cosmetics.

“The new fermenter will provide a significant boost for Scotland’s bioeconomy, offering the vital scale-up infrastructure that many companies need to take the next step,” said Mark Bustard, CEO of IBioIC. “It enables a smoother transition from lab research to industrial production, giving businesses greater confidence and credibility as they seek investment to scale. Beyond that, it also reinforces Scotland’s reputation as a hub for sustainable innovation and a leading destination for producing bio-based products and materials.”

Supporting Scotland’s bio-based manufacturers

High infrastructure costs and a lack of in-house expertise can make it challenging for bio-based companies to translate lab-based science into industry-ready processes. FlexBIO hopes to address both of these issues, providing access to equipment and technical knowledge under one roof.

The new fermenter was recently celebrated with a launch event, which took place across FlexBIO and the National Robotarium. Key industry stakeholders attended for a morning of networking and presentations, along with the opportunity to view the fermenter and learn how it will be used to support young companies.

The Scottish government has made addressing challenges in industrial biotechnology a strategic investment focus, as it works to achieve net zero by 2045.

“Providing access to cutting-edge equipment, like this fermenter, is a vital step in supporting Scotland’s bio-based manufacturers to reach their full potential,” said Adrian Gillespie, CEO at Scottish Enterprise. “Using these facilities will help ambitious spinouts, start-ups, and smaller companies to scale up, accelerating their journey from the lab to full-scale production. At Scottish Enterprise, we’re focused on helping more companies to scale, creating more high-quality jobs and economic growth for Scotland.”