Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant launches 75,000-liter fermenter, validating Vivici’s BLG technology

Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP) in Ghent has successfully commissioned its 75,000-liter fermenter, marking a significant step forward in industrial-scale precision fermentation. This new infrastructure was completed just 14 months after construction began in September 2023, as part of a strategic initiative launched three years ago. Designed to provide innovators with the tools to scale fermentation processes to industrial levels, the fermenter also enables cost-competitive production of food-grade materials under market-ready conditions.

Hendrik Waegeman, Head of Business Operations at BBEPP, highlighted the fermenter’s potential to support companies navigating the transition from pilot to full-scale production. “While helping companies bridge the 'Valley of Death' in innovation by offering scale-up support up to 15,000-liter capacity, we often observed a second bottleneck when transitioning to industrial manufacturing scale,” Waegeman explained. “This isn’t just about physical scaling effects. Larger-scale operations often demand significant investments in downstream unit operations at CMO facilities. With this new fermenter, BBEPP avoids those challenges by integrating downstream units that match the 75,000-liter fermentation scale.”

The fermenter is connected to an extensive suite of downstream processing equipment, further enhancing its capability to support industrial applications. Waegeman emphasized that this integration allows BBEPP to offer seamless scale-up services to innovators, minimizing the risks typically associated with transitioning to larger operations.

Dutch precision fermentation company Vivici was the first to use the new fermenter, testing its Vivitein BLG technology. After achieving successful scale-up in multiple 15,000-liter runs at BBEPP, Vivici validated its process at industrial scale with the 75,000-liter setup. The milestone is expected to bolster the company’s commercial readiness and enhance customer confidence.

“I am extremely proud that we’ve reached this critical milestone in our scale-up journey and got it right the first time,” added Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici. “Successfully running our production at large scale will strengthen our commercial rollout, giving customers confidence in Vivici as a reliable and trusted supply partner. This achievement reflects the close collaboration between the teams at Vivici and BBEPP over the past months.”

The successful demonstration underscores the potential of BBEPP’s new capabilities for precision fermentation and other biotechnology applications.

The 75,000-liter fermenter is part of a broader €34 million investment program that also included a third 15,000-liter fermentation line and three additional 1,500-liter fermenters, effectively tripling BBEPP’s overall fermentation capacity. The initiative aims to position BBEPP as a leader in helping companies scale their technologies under optimal conditions.

To celebrate the launch, BBEPP unveiled a parody video titled Fermentation Park, underscoring its commitment to innovation and collaboration with a touch of humor. The video, created with support from Flanders Investment and Trade, reflects the team’s enthusiasm for this milestone.

The project was supported by Bio Base DEMO, part of the NextGenerationEU Recovery and Resilience Facility, as well as the City of Ghent. These partnerships highlight the importance of public-private collaboration in fostering innovation and economic development in the biotechnology sector.

With its expanded capacity and integrated downstream processing capabilities, BBEPP is well-positioned to support companies navigating the complexities of scaling precision fermentation and related technologies. The facility provides a critical link between laboratory-scale research and industrial-scale production, addressing a common challenge faced by many innovators in the field.