From Seaweed To Scale-Up: The Journey Of IBioIC With INFORS HT Fermentation Technology

The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) is a key driver for accelerating innovative bioprocesses from the lab to commercial scale, especially those that contribute to the circular bioeconomy. Their FlexBIO facility offers open-access to crucial scale-up infrastructure for startups and small-to-midsize enterprises (SMEs) that lack the resources to validate new technologies themselves.

A crucial bottleneck in moving ideas forward is the ability to demonstrate that lab-scale processes are saleable at larger volumes. IBioIC addresses this by providing access to advanced, flexible equipment—like the INFORS HT 300 L Techfors pilot-scale bioreactor—for work with a wide variety of biomasses, from seaweed to seafood waste. This infrastructure supports critical projects, including novel fermentations and waste valorization to extract value from previously discarded streams.

The collaboration highlights how equipment flexibility, user-friendliness, and essential technical support are paramount for a publicly accessible facility. Ultimately, IBioIC’s work helps companies validate commercial potential, build a skilled biomanufacturing workforce, and move closer to market readiness. Learn more about how the right bioprocessing tools are bridging the gap from bench to pilot scale.