Scotland gets first open-access 300-liter fermenter to support bioeconomy

In Scotland, Scotland’s biotechnology sector is celebrating a major milestone with the launch of the nation’s first open-access 300-liter fermenter – a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that will support early-stage companies to develop bio-based products at scale

Located at FlexBIO, the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre’s (IBioIC) scale-up facility at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, installation of the new fermenter was made possible by a £847,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s national economic development agency.

The investment expands IBioIC’s scale-up capabilities significantly, increasing upstream bioprocessing capacity tenfold – from 30 liters to 300 liters. The fermenter – a type of bioreactor used to cultivate microorganisms – offers a crucial bridge between lab-scale development and full-scale production, allowing businesses to conduct trials without disrupting their day-to-day operations or bearing the high cost of purchasing the expensive equipment themselves.

Fermentation is a key stage of bioprocessing involving active ingredients such as yeast, bacteria and algae. End uses span a wide range of sectors, from cultivated meat and alternative proteins for the food sector, to natural dyes and fibres for sustainable textiles, and bio-based ingredients for medicines and cosmetics.