Synbio Powerlabs and Ivy Farm Technologies are collaborating to produce cultured meat in Lappeenranta, Finland, in what will be the world’s largest cultured meat and precision fermentation facility. Cultured  or cultivated meat describe meat produced by growing animal cells, rather than by raising and slaughtering animals. The process involves cultivating animal cells in a controlled environment to create tissue that is structurally and nutritionally similar to conventional meat.

Supported by a grant of nearly three million euros from the Finnish government, the new food innovation hub will be launched in early 2025 and will house various startups, including those in the precision fermentation, biomass fermentation and cultured meat segments. The facility will have pilot-scale equipment and production capacities of 10,000 L and 27,000 L. It will have six 250,000 L production vessels, making it the largest of its kind in the world, according to the companies involved.

Ivy Farm will be the first to demonstrate the scalability of mammalian cells in food-grade vessels at this scale. The partnership will initially focus on technology transfer and scaling up to 10,000 L fermenters, with plans to further increase production scale and efficiency in the coming years. The collaboration aims to position the Nordic region as a key market for cultured meat.

• Synbio Powerlabs Oy, Espoo, Finland
• Ivy Farm Technologies Ltd., Oxford, UK