UK commits £184 million to engineering biology facilities for alternative proteins and biotech innovation

The UK government has announced a major investment to expand and modernize the country’s engineering biology infrastructure, dedicating £184 million (approximately US$232 million) to build and upgrade facilities that could accelerate innovation in fields such as cell-cultivated meat and sustainable food production.

Revealed as part of the government’s broader Industrial Strategy, the funding forms the core of the new Engineering Biology Scale-up Infrastructure Programme. The initiative aims to help researchers and companies move discoveries from the lab into commercial applications, supporting the growth of alternative proteins and other biotechnology sectors.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle highlighted the importance of engineering biology in the UK’s ambitions for technological and economic leadership. “In engineering biology, a £380 million investment will support researchers working on everything from new life-saving medicines to cell-cultivated meats and climate-resilient crops, to protect our environment and strengthen food security,” Kyle said in the announcement published on 23 June by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Of the £380 million (US$480 million) total investment in engineering biology, £184 million is earmarked specifically for infrastructure. This funding will help build and modernize facilities capable of supporting pilot-scale production and manufacturing processes critical for emerging sectors like alternative proteins, synthetic biology, and bio-based materials. The remaining £196 million (around US$247 million) will fund research and development through the National Engineering Biology Programme.

Engineering biology has increasingly become central to the development of sustainable food systems, offering solutions such as cell-cultivated meat, which grows animal cells in bioreactors rather than relying on traditional livestock farming. The technology has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower land and water use, and enhance food security amid rising global demand for protein.

The government’s announcement places engineering biology alongside other high-priority technologies – including quantum computing and advanced semiconductors – as key areas for strategic investment under the new Industrial Strategy.

“Britain is full of ambitious risk-takers driven by a desire to innovate and improve people’s everyday lives,” Kyle said. “From quantum computers that could revolutionize drug discovery and make the NHS fit for the future, to sustainable fuels that can make the UK a clean energy superpower, science and technology has a key part to play in delivering our modern Industrial Strategy to renew our country and support our Plan for Change.”

While the government has not yet detailed specific projects or companies that will benefit from the scale-up infrastructure funding, the investment signals the UK’s intent to solidify its role as a leader in engineering biology and alternative proteins. Industry observers see improved infrastructure as a critical step in enabling biotech startups and researchers to produce commercially viable products and compete in global markets.