New Lens #2: Scaling Cultivated Meat through Collaborative Manufacturing Models
Executive summary
- High CAPEX is a major barrier: In addition to cell culture media (see New Lens #1), large-scale production infrastructure represents a significant cost driver in the cultivated meat industry. Key factors include bioreactors, underdeveloped infrastructure, and inefficiencies in bioprocessing, which create prohibitive barriers to entry and growth.
- Lowering cost through infrastructure and technology innovation: Advances in bioprocess optimization (e.g., higher cell densities, continuous processes), novel bioreactor designs (e.g., airlift, hollow-fiber), and retrofitting existing facilities offer pathways to reduce costs and improve scalability. Digital tools like machine learning and digital twins further enhance efficiency and streamline scale-up strategies.
- Adopting Collaborative Manufacturing Models: Drawing examples from the semiconductor industry, shared infrastructure offers a promising short to mid-term solution for reducing costs, optimizing efficiency, and accelerating scale-up. These models also play a crucial role in fostering ecosystem development, promoting standardization efforts, and validating supply chains.
I. Introduction
The cultivated meat industry stands at a critical crossroad. While technological breakthroughs have driven production costs down by over 99% since the first prototypes, further progress remains stymied by prohibitive economic barriers. As outlined in New Lens #1, together with cell culture media, large-scale production infrastructure is a key cost driver in the cultivated meat space. Preliminary techno-economic models such as Humbird et al. (2021), Negulesco et al. (2023) and CE Delft (2021) estimate that CAPEX investments are set between $325M and $1.2B for facilities with an annual production capacity between 4000 and 25000 tons. Bioreactors alone account for a substantial portion of these costs, underscoring the capital-intensive nature of the sector. These high costs are intrinsically tied to broader systemic hurdles, such as underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of industry-wide standardization, and inefficiencies in bioprocessing. For stakeholders all across the value chain, the combined challenges of high CAPEX, infrastructure gaps, and fragmented processes create a prohibitive barrier to entry and growth.
To address these challenges, the industry must prioritize collaboration and targeted investments aimed at enhancing scalability and driving down production costs. In this regard, the industry could draw inspiration from NVIDIA’s successful playbook, which revolves around four key pillars: establishing foundational hardware and technologies, building a programmable software layer, building and fostering of an ecosystem, and expanding into adjacent markets.
Pillar 1. Establishing foundational hardware and technologies
Optimizing bioprocesses for cultivated meat production is essential for maximizing infrastructure utilization and minimizing costs. Several strategies can be employed to achieve this. First, this can be done by achieving higher cell densities, hence maximizing biomass yield per bioreactor volume. As described in New Lens #1, cell line engineering can play a crucial role in minimizing cell culture media costs. Gene editing and modifications can further be used to engineer robust cell lines with improved metabolic efficiencies, increased tolerance to waste metabolites and higher viability at higher cell densities (Flack et al. 2024). In addition to cell line development, different bioprocess operation modes offer further opportunities for optimization. A recent study demonstrated a continuous manufacturing process using a tangential flow filtration system able to support high cell density cultures for over 20 days (Pasitka et al. 2024). The proposed method allowed daily biomass harvests, reducing downtime associated with sterilization and lag time and lowering capital expenditure due to smaller vessel requirements.
Bioprocessing equipment and bioreactors used in cultivated meat are borrowed from the pharmaceutical industry. These are not optimized for food applications and the strict pharma requirements drive the costs up. Cultivated meat production specifications could have reduced sterility requirements when compared to pharma, and make use of lower priced materials to manufacture equipment. To reduce equipment costs, GFI (2023) has suggested a strategy involving replacing 316L stainless steel, commonly used in pharma equipment, with the less expensive yet less resistant 304L stainless steel. The latter is approximately 30–40% cheaper than 316L stainless steel, and recent techno-economic analyses have shown that a 20,000-liter stirred tank bioreactor made from 316L stainless steel would cost $1.5 million ($75 per liter) (Humbird, 2021), while a 210,000-liter bioreactor constructed with 304L would cost $0.9 million ($4.50 per liter) (Negulesco, 2023).
Another strategy involves exploring novel bioreactor designs that deviate from traditional stirred tank reactors. Airlift bioreactors, for instance, offer several advantages, as they maintain performance while scaling up, and are more cost-effective due to lower power consumption. In the techno-economic analysis by Negulesco (2023), a 304 stainless steel 262k liter airlift bioreactor was estimated to cost $313k ($1.12 per liter). Despite these advantages, the adoption of airlift bioreactors in the cultivated meat sector has remained limited. Hollow-fiber bioreactors represent another promising but less explored option for cultivated meat production. In theory, these allow for higher cell densities and biomass yields. However, scaling them up presents challenges, and current non-edible fibers require complex downstream processing for cell harvesting. An alternative is to use edible hollow-fibers such as the ones being developed by KalvoTech or Merck. This could provide a plug-and-play solution, as both fibers and cells would be part of the final product, eliminating the need for expensive auxiliary equipment like centrifuges or cell retention devices. Nevertheless, perfusion equipment would still be required to support the process
Similarly to recent developments in the space industry, 3D printing could hold significant potential in cultivated meat. 3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing in the aerospace industry in terms of cost reduction, design flexibility, and production efficiency. It reduces material waste compared to traditional manufacturing methods, and enables faster prototyping, reducing overall development time and costs. For instance, the use of 3D printing in SpaceX’s SuperDraco engine chambers, lead to significant decrease in costs and lead times. Relativity Space is aiming at printing entire rockets using their proprietary 3D printing technology, reducing the number of components from 100,000 to just 1,000 and cutting development and production timelines from 48 months to only 6 months. In the biomanufacturing space, companies like Chain Reactor are leveraging 3D printing to create cultivation environments. It remains to be seen however, if 3D printing could enable the rapid and cost-effective production of complex, cell-compatible bioreactors and equipment at scale.
Retrofitting existing facilities offers another interesting strategy for scaling cultivated meat. It significantly reduces costs compared to building new facilities from scratch, as it leverages existing infrastructure and equipment. As retrofitting is often more time-efficient, it allows companies to establish production capacity much faster. Potential facilities for retrofitting include animal protein processing facilities, food manufacturing plants, breweries, farms, among others. An example of this approach is RESPECTfarms, a Dutch startup that aims to bring cultivated meat production directly to farms. Their solution involves developing a fully automated “plug-and-play” system that allows farmers to integrate cellular agriculture into their existing operations, repurposing existing agricultural infrastructure. Another example is Ivy Farms’ strategy of repurposing less complex food-grade fermenters to their cultivated beef processes.
Pillar 2. Developing a programmable software layer and enable digitalization
Although automation is already used by companies in some parts of the bioprocess, further end-to-end automation and equipment integration will be crucial in improving efficiency, reducing costs, and ensuring consistent product quality as production volumes increase. This can include automation for processes such as real-time bioprocess monitoring, media feeding strategies, cell culture workflows, harvesting and processing. An example of this is the modular and scalable Rockwell PlantPAx platform installed at a cultivated meat pilot plant in 2023. This platform allows for automation in cell culture workflow, monitoring, media preparation and sterilization.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have recently emerged as powerful tools to support and complement the cultivated meat industry, and their applications have been reviewed elsewhere (Todhunter et al. 2024). In short, AI and ML can be used in i) upstream optimization to guide media and cell line development, data processing and analysis, ii) bioprocess optimization, automation and monitoring, and iii) product development. Looking ahead, predictive models and digital twin technologies offer significant potential to improve operational efficiency and guide scale up strategies. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a real-world system or process that is continuously updated with real-time data. By collecting data from different sensors and processes, a digital twin creates a virtual model that accurately reflects the behavior, characteristics, and performance of its real-world counterpart. In the cultivated meat industry, by employing digital twins and simulating production processes, companies can identify inefficiencies and optimize designs throughout the scale-up ladder, reducing investment risks and maximizing yields. For instance, the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle is collaborating with Biocellion and other partners through the Cultivated Meat Modeling Consortium (CMMC) to create in silico models that can optimize growth processes and product characteristics. Similarly, Fudzs is employing bioreactor simulations using different bioreactor geometries and composition of culture media. By virtually replicating the whole production chain, Fudzs is also able to identify process inefficiencies and equipment downtime. However, both predictive modeling and digital twin technologies are still in their early stages of development in the cultivated meat industry. Their success would greatly benefit from increased data sharing and collaboration across the industry, enabling more accurate and robust models.
Pillar 3. Fostering ecosystem building
Standardization is a critical strategy for advancing the cultivated meat industry as it helps in reducing costs, streamlining processes, and reducing regulatory uncertainties. In addition by setting clear guidelines and requirements for product safety and quality it can help foster consumer acceptance and trust. A consortium led by Multus is developing global standards for safety testing of growth media formulations and ingredients, aiming to establish baselines for industry-scale regulatory evaluation. This effort focuses on improving consumer confidence, reducing regulatory approval costs, and promoting knowledge sharing across the industry. Additional key areas for standardization include facility and equipment specifications and designs, production processes, and safety and quality standards of products. Standardization can also help create and scale a supply chain ecosystem. Similar to Mosa Meat’s and Nutreco’s efforts in creating a supply chain for cell feed, other initiatives are needed to validate and scale a supply chain for affordable, fit-for-purpose equipment and infrastructure.This is especially critical as material and equipment lead times have been identified as significant scale-up challenges, as noted in a recent GFI (2023) report.
Pillar 4. Expanding to adjacent markets
Further ahead, expanding to other markets might present a strategic opportunity for cultivated meat companies to diversify revenue streams and access higher-margin applications, whilst strengthening the development of critical infrastructure. Beyond human food, the cellular agriculture industry is exploring opportunities in pet food, cosmetics, materials, and fashion. For instance, companies like Meatly and BioCraft are targeting the pet food market with cultivated meat products. This approach serves as a proof-of-concept, de-risks the technology, and enters a market with less stringent regulations compared to human consumption. In the cosmetics field, IntegriCulture has developed CELLAMENT, a cell-cultured skincare ingredient derived from egg cell culture, while Jellatech is working on collagen production using cell cultures. On the other hand, companies like Qorium and Faircraft are developing leather using cell cultures of a wide range of species.
III. The Case for Collaborative Manufacturing Models
As we await technological and scientific breakthroughs that significantly reduce infrastructure costs — whether through improved bioprocesses or the development of more affordable, fit-for-purpose infrastructure — companies must, in the short to mid-term, shift from isolated efforts to embrace collaborative manufacturing models. In this article, collaborative manufacturing models include shared infrastructure and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CMOs and CDMOs). Shared infrastructure entails centralized and collaborative facilities managed by industry consortia or partnerships, where multiple companies pool resources such as bioreactors and manufacturing capacity, to reduce capital expenditures and optimize operational efficiency. Inaugurated in late 2024, The Cultured Hub, is a joint venture between Migros, Givaudan and Bühler Group aiming at faster and more efficient scale up of alternative protein companies. The hub provides advanced labs for cell culture and fermentation, enabling startups to scale from up to 1,000-liter pilot operations, without heavy capital investment, while retaining equity and protecting IP. Earlier this year, Cultivate-at-Scale, a spin-out of Mosa Meat, launched in Maastricht with single-use bioreactors up to 1000L, supporting process optimization, regulatory submissions, and market validation. Developed in partnership with Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland and backed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature (LVVN) and the Dutch government’s National Growth Fund (NGF), this open-access facility is a prime example of strategic ecosystem building. More recently, China has inaugurated its first alternative protein center for cultivated meat and precision fermentation in Beijing’s Fengtai District, a $10.9M collaboration between the local government and Shounong Food Group. Altogether, these initiatives demonstrate how private, public and governmental support can help offset high upfront infrastructure costs, providing a platform for innovation and validation of cultivated meat bioprocesses.
On the other hand, CDMOs are third-party service providers that offer end-to-end contract-based solutions for product development, manufacturing, and scaling, allowing companies to outsource complex bioprocess development and regulatory compliance while focusing on other core competencies. An example of this is Extracellular, a CDMO based in Bristol focusing on both the development and commercial manufacturing of cell-based products, from food, to materials, to cosmetics. Recently, Extracellular repurposed a former brewery for the manufacturing of cultivated meat. The company underscores the significance of cost-effective strategies in facility development and bioprocess optimization:
“The cultivated food industry can’t and shouldn’t have to adhere to the high-specification facilities that biopharma companies have. Biopharma facilities can be 10x-50x higher in costs than repurposing food assets for the same amount of production space. Thus, repurposing and upgrading the sterility of brownfield food assets, which have all the required utilities for cultivated food production, is a far more viable method for cost-comparative manufacturing”
Furthermore, Extracellular highlights the potential of continuous biomanufacturing processes to maximize output and fully utilize CAPEX investments:
“Developing high-yield continuous biomanufacturing processes maximizes output and fully utilizes CAPEX investments. Recently, we achieved over 400g/L over 36 days, enabling a continued flow of cells with minimal downtime.If we are able to scale these sorts of processes, of which data and automation will significantly assist with, then a cost-comparative cultivated food product is within reach.”
Beyond process development and validation, collaborative manufacturing models are pivotal in addressing supply chain challenges. Shared infrastructure and CDMOs play a crucial role in creating, scaling, and validating the supply chain, including bioreactor and cell culture media providers.
IV. Conclusion: The Road Ahead
The future of cultivated meat lies in collaborative manufacturing models that encompass shared infrastructure and the evolving roles of CDMOs and CMOs. These frameworks offer a pragmatic and scalable solution to overcome these hurdles in the short to mid-term. By pooling resources, centralizing infrastructure, and fostering industry-wide standardization, collaborative manufacturing models can significantly reduce capital expenditures, optimize operational efficiency, and accelerate the commercialization of cultivated meat.
To accelerate the path to commercialization and mass adoption, ecosystem-building must take center stage. Switzerland’s Cultured Hub illustrates the power of shared infrastructure, enabling startups to access cutting-edge bioprocessing facilities and expertise without the heavy financial burden of building proprietary systems. Similarly, the Dutch and Chinese ecosystem highlight the value of academic-industry-government collaboration, advancing critical technologies while fostering regulatory alignment and commercialization paths.
However, ecosystem-building is only part of the equation. The next critical step for the cultivated meat industry is standardization — establishing shared protocols, interoperable bioprocess designs, and industry-wide benchmarks. Standardization will reduce redundancies, foster and scale the supply chain, and drive down costs across the value chain.
