The Netherlands Showcases Progress in Cellular Agriculture with Two Open-Access Scale-Up Events

Ede & Maastricht, The Netherlands – June 6, 2025 – The Netherlands further demonstrated its leadership in cellular agriculture and (precision)fermentation today with two public events highlighting the development of its national open-access scale-up infrastructure. At the Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF) – empowered by NIZO Food Research – in Ede and Cultivate at Scale (CaS) in Maastricht, stakeholders from across the cellular agriculture ecosystem came together to explore opportunities and preview the facilities that will help transform how we produce food.

Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF): A Glimpse of What’s to Come

In Ede, BFF and NIZO team welcomed over 180 invited guests for  the BFF kick-off event. Although the BFF facility is still under construction, the event offered attendees an early look at the plans and capabilities of this future open-access scale-up facility dedicated to (precision)fermentation.

The program included presentations from NIZO, BFF, and invited partners, followed by breakout sessions such as the technical opportunities of BFF, a 3D model of the BFF infrastructure, demonstrations of NIZO’s R&D expertise, a tour through the NIZO food-grade pilot plant, and networking activities. The sessions emphasized that project collaboration is already possible, thanks to the integration with NIZO’s existing facilities and services.

The BFF will support companies developing (precision)fermentation-based products—such as proteins, enzymes, and fats—by providing access to advanced fermentation and downstream processing infrastructure, food application expertise, and regulatory support. The financing for this comes from a subsidy of €12.5 million from the National Growth Fund for Cellular Agriculture in the Netherlands, an in-kind co-financing from NIZO and through investments from the Perspectieffonds Gelderland (fund manager Oost NL).

Marcel Oogink, Managing Director of BFF:
“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:
“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 (CaS): Opening Its Doors in Maastricht

At the same time, Cultivate at Scale (CaS) hosted its own Open House in Maastricht, welcoming cellular agriculture companies and stakeholders to explore its fully operational cell culture bioprocessing facility. CaS supports companies and institutions working on the production of meat, fish, dairy, leather and other animal or plant products through cell culture, in the scale-up and optimization of their processes. It provides the infrastructure, equipment and expertise for scale-up, including laboratory and production spaces, bioreactors and other technologies that contribute to the industrial production of cellular agriculture products. Through their service offering, which includes aspects such as media development, quality control systems, and regulatory support, CaS offers companies a pathway to bridge the gap between research and scalable production.

The facility has already supported multiple pilot runs and contributed to the development of several Novel Foods dossiers. The open day featured guided tours and meetings with CaS’s experienced operations team, showcasing how the facility can accelerate product and process development for cultivated meat and other cell-based products.

Jaco van der Merwe, Managing Director of CaS:
“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 open-access infrastructure in accelerating this industry.”

Building a National Ecosystem for Cellular Agriculture

These parallel events mark a significant milestone in the Dutch national program for Cellular Agriculture (CAN), funded through the National Growth Fund. Together, BFF and CaS form the backbone of a national infrastructure that lowers barriers for innovation, enabling startups, scale-ups, and established companies to advance sustainable food technologies without the need for massive upfront capital investment.

The Netherlands is already home to leading research programs, a strong regulatory framework, and public-private partnerships that support cellular agriculture from the lab to the market. With these new scale-up facilities, the country reinforces its position as a global frontrunner in the transition to a more resilient, resource-efficient, and diverse food system.