Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs target smarter fermentation with AI platform backed by Protein Industries Canada

Artificial intelligence is continuing to make inroads into industrial biotechnology, with Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs launching a new project designed to bring real-time intelligence and autonomous control to commercial fermentation.

• Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs have secured C$1.4 million (US$1.02 million) to develop an AI-enabled fermentation platform.
• The technology will use existing industrial sensors and machine learning to monitor and optimize fermentation processes in real time.
• The project is backed by Protein Industries Canada as part of Canada's wider strategy to strengthen food manufacturing and value-added agriculture.

Backed by Protein Industries Canada, the partners will develop an AI-enabled fermentation platform capable of continuously inferring fermentation conditions, food safety indicators, energy performance and overall process health using existing industrial sensors and advanced machine learning.

The C$1.4 million (US$1.02 million) project includes C$607,000 (US$443,000) from Protein Industries Canada, with the remainder funded by the project partners. The initiative forms part of Protein Industries Canada's artificial intelligence stream, which is supported through the Government of Canada's Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

The technology is intended to move industrial fermentation beyond traditional manual monitoring by providing continuous predictions and optimization throughout production. According to the partners, the platform has the potential to reduce energy consumption, improve product consistency, strengthen food safety controls and increase production efficiency, while making it easier to convert agricultural sidestreams into higher-value food ingredients.

Fermentation is playing an increasingly important role across the food industry, underpinning the production of ingredients ranging from proteins and enzymes to flavors, fats and functional compounds. As more companies move from laboratory development towards commercial manufacturing, improving process control, reducing operating costs and delivering consistent product quality have become major priorities.

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being viewed as one way of addressing those challenges, enabling manufacturers to extract greater insight from production data and respond to changing process conditions before they affect product quality or yield.

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Canada's Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, said the project would help reinforce Canada's position in food manufacturing while supporting more sustainable production.

"With support from Protein Industries Canada, one of Canada's global innovation clusters, Crush Dynamics and its partners will use AI-driven innovation to strengthen Canada's food supply chain and reinforce our leadership in global food production," she said.

"Automating industrial fermentation enables Canadian companies to compete internationally, reduce waste and promote more sustainable food production. This is the kind of cutting-edge technology that advances our government's commitment to a strong, resilient and sustainable economy for all Canadians."

The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, said AI could help modernize Canada's food processing industry by introducing more predictive manufacturing technologies.

"Innovation is key to strengthening Canada's food processing sector. By using artificial intelligence to improve fermentation processes, this project will help food manufacturers adopt predictive, advanced technologies that boost domestic processing capacity," he said.

Throughout the project, Crush Dynamics will integrate Atomic47 Labs' artificial intelligence, digital twin technology and industrial control capabilities into its commercial fermentation platform.

Rather than relying on operators to identify issues after they occur, the system is intended to provide continuous visibility into fermentation performance, allowing manufacturers to optimize operating conditions, improve consistency and identify potential problems earlier in the production cycle.

Tyler Groeneveld, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, said AI technologies would become increasingly important as processors look to generate more value from Canadian agricultural production.

"Canada's ability to make more from what we grow relies on our food processors having the tools they need to succeed, and AI systems are an important part of that," he said.

"With the development of a new AI system that helps improve energy usage while reducing waste, Canada's food processors can make great strides in not just strengthening our domestic food supply chain, but also in improving food options for families here and around the world."

Kirk Moir, CEO of Crush Dynamics, said the collaboration combines fermentation expertise with AI to create more value from agricultural resources that might otherwise be underutilized.

"This project is about making more from what we already grow," he said. "We're combining our fermentation technology with advanced AI to help transform agricultural sidestreams into high-value ingredients more efficiently and consistently. It's an important step toward reducing waste, improving sustainability and strengthening Canada's food manufacturing sector."

Karen Olsson, CEO of Atomic47 Labs, said the project represents a move towards intelligent process control rather than reactive manufacturing.

"This project is about moving fermentation from reactive decision-making to intelligent, real-time control. By combining Crush Dynamics' fermentation expertise with Atomic47's AI, digital twin and industrial control capabilities, we are building a platform that can improve consistency, reduce waste, and help Canadian food processors scale more sustainable ingredient production," she said.

Protein Industries Canada said the initiative supports its broader ambition to strengthen Canada's domestic food manufacturing sector by creating more value from agricultural crops through processing and ingredient production. One of Canada's five Global Innovation Clusters, the organization is working towards its "Road to $25 Billion" vision, which aims to grow the country's plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector into a C$25 billion (US$18.3 billion) industry while positioning Canada as a global supplier of plant-based ingredients. The project also contributes to its "Make It Here" initiative, which focuses on expanding domestic processing capacity and creating greater economic value from Canadian agriculture.