“By 2035, everyone will eat fermented food every day” — Biotechnology initiative gets continued support
Biotech Heights work to accelerate the development of biotechnology for the food and materials of the future. The societal effects could be reduced carbon dioxide and methane emissions, slowed deforestation and contribute to more resource efficient food production without increasing land use.
Implementing this system shift requires collaboration across the entire value chain — from research and production to market and policy. Technology needs to be scaled up, new business models developed and consumers offered affordable, attractive products. Knowledge of biotechnology needs to be increased, legislation influenced and new standards created.
- It is exciting that we are involved in building a new industry. It is a transformative work of innovation and there is a very large untapped potential here,” says Peter Kisch at Future by Lund. Population development means that we need alternatives and supplements to, among other things, animal protein. Producing plant-based protein through fermentation is an opportunity for Swedish industry and international know-how, but also contributes to national issues such as increased need for self-sufficiency and preparedness for times of crisis.
Biotech Heights was launched in the fall of 2023 Since then, we have been working on several different approaches. A large number of stakeholders have been mobilised and work has begun on creating visibility into new fermented foods and the potential of biotechnology in the food system. Several innovation and research projects have been initiated, identifying and clarifying the need to develop biotechnology as a separate industry for food and material production.
In the second step, Biotech Heights will continue and intensify much of what it has already started.
An important part is to coordinate and connect the ecosystem so as to build relationships with the actors who have already started to engage on the issue and get more actors involved. The ambition is to raise awareness of the potential of biotechnology in the food system, both in the industry and among consumers.
- Region Skåne sees Biotech Heights as an important piece of the puzzle to develop more resource-efficient and bio-based solutions that can drive Skåne's transition to a more circular and bio-based food sector,” says Susanna Winblad, Region Skåne.
Another part of the activity is managing and developing a project portfolio of innovation projects and research projects. Here we want to see a coordinated and dynamic project portfolio that strengthens the role of the innovation platform in driving the work towards the goal of using the potential of biotechnology.
- An important part of the projects is to develop the technology so that we can reduce the cost of the fermentation process, says Lena de Maré, Tetra Pak. Tetra Pak has a facility in Karlshamn which can help us scale the projects so that they become industrially viable.
The ambition is to allow the innovation platform to develop into a national node, with both a physical and digital presence. The platform will create meeting places and digital solutions where actors can collaborate, experiment and be trained. The Biotech Heights site will strengthen cooperation between research, industry, education and the public sector and make visible the work and project results of the actors in relevant national contexts. Biotech Heights will also establish a network for start-up companies and SMEs.
- Interest in biotechnology and food is everywhere, says Emma Nordell, Lund University and project manager for Biotech Heights. We see a need for a gathering force and a meeting place. The meeting place is being created at Kemicentrum.
In addition to operating at the national level, Biotech Heights will build close cooperation with several international players, mainly with Denmark, which is strong in the field. To achieve this objective, cooperation is needed to implement the simplification of European legislation, to promote investment in research, innovation and infrastructure, to connect actors in new value chains and to increase knowledge sharing.
Financier is Vinnova, which has granted project funds for Biotech Heights until autumn 2027.
Want to know more about or become a member of Biotech Heights? Contact Emma Nordell, emma.nordell@fsi.lu.se
Pictured: The team includes Tilde Svensson (Future by Lund), Lena de Maré (Tetra Pak), Emma Nordell (Lund University), Josefin Ahlqvist (Lund University), Susanna Winblad (Region Skåne) and Peter Kisch (Future by Lund).