Biotechnology Fermentation Factory Ede BV40B153Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF): Innovation validated. Impact accelerated.
The Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF), opening in 2026 in Ede, the Netherlands, is a pioneering facility designed to solve one of the biggest barriers in food innovation: the scale-up from laboratory to industrial production. Many promising fermentation-based solutions never reach the market because of high costs, lack of infrastructure, and technical risks. BFF was created to bridge this “valley of death” and provide innovators with a reliable pathway towards successful market introduction.
What BFF offers
BFF is Europe’s first open-access, food-grade validation hub dedicated to both precision fermentation and biomass fermentation (including microalgae). The facility combines:
Upstream and downstream infrastructure at pilot and demo scale, enabling full process validation under food-grade conditions.
AI-enabled process modelling and digital data analysis to optimise fermentation parameters, shorten development cycles, and reduce failure rates.
Regulatory readiness through food-grade standards and documentation, ensuring smoother transitions to approval and market launch.
A new service and financing model
Unlike contract manufacturers or research institutes, BFF does not produce ingredients for its own market. Instead, it provides a unique open-access service model: shared use of costly infrastructure and expertise, allowing start-ups, SMEs, corporates and research partners to de-risk their innovation journey.
To further reduce barriers, BFF has established a revolving Derisking Fund. This fund co-finances validation projects in the critical TRL 5–7 phase, sharing technical and financial risk with innovators. By lowering the upfront costs and risks of process validation, the fund ensures that more companies—particularly SMEs and early-stage ventures—can access BFF’s facilities and bring their ideas closer to market.
