Netherlands takes major step in food innovation with BFF and CaS facility launches

The Netherlands is spotlighting its leadership in cellular agriculture today with the launch of two major facilities designed to accelerate the development of sustainable food technologies. Events in Ede and Maastricht are marking the debut of the Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF) and Cultivate at Scale (CaS), key infrastructure in the country’s growing ecosystem for precision fermentation and cell culture.

In Ede, the team behind BFF and its partner NIZO Food Research are welcoming more than 180 invited guests for an early look at the new facility. While construction is still underway, the launch event offers a preview of what’s to come. Attendees are touring NIZO’s existing food-grade pilot plant, viewing a 3D model of the future site, and attending breakout sessions on the technical opportunities BFF will offer.

Once operational, BFF will provide open-access support to companies working with precision fermentation to produce ingredients such as proteins, fats, and enzymes. The site will offer access to fermentation and downstream processing infrastructure, as well as expertise in food applications and regulatory support. The project is backed by a €12.5 million (around US$13.5 million) grant from the National Growth Fund for Cellular Agriculture in the Netherlands, along with in-kind support from NIZO and investment from the Perspectieffonds Gelderland, managed by Oost NL.

“Today’s event highlights the enthusiasm and collaboration driving this field forward,” said Marcel Oogink, Managing Director of BFF. “Even before BFF is fully built, we are already working with partners to bring next-generation food innovations to life.”

Meanwhile in Maastricht, Cultivate at Scale is opening its doors to stakeholders from across the cellular agriculture community. CaS is a fully operational facility focused on scaling up the production of cultured meat, fish, dairy, leather and other animal or plant products grown through cell culture. The site provides laboratory and production space, bioreactors, and technical support to help companies move from the lab to industrial-scale production.

CaS has already supported several pilot runs and helped prepare Novel Foods dossiers for regulatory submission. During today’s open house, guests are meeting the operations team and touring the facility to see how CaS supports process optimization, media development, quality control systems, and regulatory compliance.

“We are proud to open our doors and show how CaS is helping companies scale safely, efficiently, and collaboratively,” said Jaco van der Merwe, Managing Director of CaS. “The strong interest today confirms the importance of open-access infrastructure in accelerating this industry.”

The two facilities are part of the Netherlands’ national Cellular Agriculture Netherlands (CAN) program, funded by the National Growth Fund. Together, BFF and CaS form a cornerstone of a coordinated national effort to support innovation in sustainable food without requiring companies to make major upfront capital investments.

The Netherlands has already established itself as a leader in cellular agriculture, with strong academic programs, public-private partnerships, and regulatory readiness. With the addition of these two new sites, the country is further expanding its capacity to support startups, scale-ups and established companies looking to bring novel food products to market.

“The energy at today’s event reflects the momentum we’re seeing across the cellular agriculture field,” said Nikolaas Vles, CEO of NIZO. “With our expertise in food-grade process development and application, NIZO is proud to help lay the foundation for the BFF and support companies on their journey from concept to scalable, real-world solutions. This collaboration-driven approach is how we accelerate impact.”

(Main image shows the Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF), a new open-access facility designed to help scale precision fermentation innovations)