en.Wedoany.com Reported - GEA, in collaboration with partners including the Biotechnology Fermentation Factory and Solar Foods, operates a pilot-scale process testing infrastructure in Sülzetal, Germany, designed to support the scale-up of precision fermentation and cell culture processes for the food, feed, and healthcare sectors using bioreactors and separation systems.
This pilot facility primarily serves precision fermentation and biomanufacturing in the alternative protein, food ingredients, and healthcare sectors, specifically focusing on the scalable production of functional ingredients such as enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and non-animal proteins. By testing processes at an intermediate scale, operators can quantitatively assess process stability, yield predictability, and overall production efficiency before committing to full-scale industrial plant construction.
A core challenge in biomanufacturing scale-up is that cell lines and organisms validated in the lab often exhibit unpredictable biological and mechanical behavior when transferred to larger volumes. In this collaboration, GEA provides engineering architecture and process equipment, while partners such as the Biotechnology Fermentation Factory and Solar Foods contribute open-access pilot capabilities and industrial demonstration expertise across the value chain. The partnership integrates upstream and downstream process steps into a continuous, viable operational framework, combining mechanical engineering with bioprocess scale-up.
The technical solution includes an integrated technology center equipped with bioreactors ranging from 50 to 500 liters in capacity. GEA is responsible for the design and provision of core hardware, including bioreactors, media preparation systems, filtration units, and industrial automation technology, while industry partners use this hardware to validate biological parameters and operational logic. The system maintains a sterile, controlled hygienic environment across all interconnected upstream and downstream modules, enabling precise measurement of product quality and biological stability under simulated industrial conditions.
The testing facility is deployed at GEA's engineering site in Sülzetal, Germany, following a €4 million renovation of existing infrastructure. The implementation phase integrates 40 pilot technology experts with 200 existing on-site personnel focused on liquid handling and automation. This physical integration enables co-location of pilot testing with existing engineering and industrial plant design teams, establishing a continuous development pathway from 50-liter test batches to full-scale commercial manufacturing units.
By testing biomanufacturing processes through this integrated pilot infrastructure, companies can obtain quantitative data on process consistency and operational cost structures. Identifying unstable cell cultures or inefficient yields early in the development cycle can avoid capital expenditure on non-viable commercial plants. Klaus Stojentin, CEO of GEA Nutrition Plant Engineering Division, stated that integrating pilot infrastructure and engineering expertise provides a factual basis for subsequent industrial application decisions. Frederieke Reiners, Vice President of New Food and Biotech at GEA, noted that early process validation determines operational stability and economic feasibility, optimizing capital allocation during the scale-up phase.
