Estonia plants seeds for synbio boom
In Estonia, state-owned applied research center and central metrology authority Metrosert has signed a €2 million (US$1.14 million) contract with construction company Savekate OÜ to establish a synthetic biology pilot plant. The pilot facility will give biotechnology companies a previously unavailable opportunity to test and develop new production processes before making major industrial investments, helping laboratory-developed solutions reach the market faster.
The pilot plant will enable the development and testing of larger-scale production processes for proteins, enzymes, yeasts, plant-based fats and other biobased substances used in the food, chemical, materials and pharmaceutical industries. These technologies can replace fossil-based raw materials and make production more resource-efficient and environmentally sustainable.
“Estonia has companies and researchers with strong expertise and solutions that have already been developed at laboratory scale,” Kaupo Reede, Head of Biorefining at Metrosert’s Applied Research Centre, said in a press statement. “Synthetic biology is rapidly becoming one of the foundations of next-generation industry, but taking the next major step requires a facility where these technologies can be tested at an industrially relevant scale. Until now, this capability has not existed in Estonia, forcing companies to look for opportunities abroad. The new pilot plant will help close this gap.”
The plant is scheduled to come online by year end.
Category: Chemicals & Materials
