Cindy Gerhardt, Founder and Managing Director of Planet B.io., introduces a biotech scale-up ecosystem designed to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, bio-based, circular society.
From cultured meat to sustainable biofuels, biotech innovations are helping tackle some of the biggest challenges threatening the health of the planet around the world. As the demand for biosolutions increases with the transition to net-zero production and the urgency of biodiversity protection, it is essential that companies in this sector join forces to drive the biotech revolution.
Based in Delft, the Netherlands, Planet B.io offers a unique ecosystem focused on industrial and food biotechnology. The organization is committed to accelerating the transition to a sustainable, bio-based and circular society by establishing an open innovation network that enables companies to create impactful biotechnology solutions. To learn more, Innovation Platform spoke to Cindy Gerhardt, Founder and Managing Director of Planet B.io.
Can you tell us more about Planet B.io in Delft?
Delft has a deep history in microbiology (the first microscope by Van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century), industrial biotechnology (the first baker’s yeast factory in 1869), and biotech food ingredients (the first microbial recombinant chymosin in 1986). Building on these roots, Delft is now a center of innovation in the Netherlands, focused entirely on industrial biotechnology, also known as biosolutions.
The driving force in our field has changed from cost-effective production of natural compounds by microorganisms to sustainable production from renewable resources with lower environmental impact.
Technically speaking, microbes are incredibly powerful in terms of what they can eat, grow, and produce. However, cost-effective large-scale production, regulation, and consumer acceptance can be major obstacles to successful commercialization.
This is where Planet B.io comes into play. We support the creation and business validation of new biotech startups, help young companies grow, and help existing companies identify open innovation opportunities. In addition, we are supporting this area, including dialogue with Dutch and European policy makers to resolve bottlenecks in regulatory procedures. We are also actively promoting new financial products to support the risky and costly path to scale-up.
At Planet B.io, we believe in the power of collaboration. First, we are a foundation supported by a public-private partnership of six different organizations, each contributing to our success. dsm-firmenich is our anchor company, a global biotechnology giant headquartered in Delft. Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is an important provider of collaborative research, talent and new start-ups. The city of Delft, the province of South Holland and the regional investment agent Innovation Quarter support us within the wider Innovation District, the number one startup and scale-up ecosystem in the Netherlands. And last but not least, our landlord, the ASR Netherlands Science Park Foundation, manages the existing and new buildings on campus.
Second, we currently operate a fast-growing local community of 29 biotech companies at the Biotechnology Campus Delft. We maintain a focus on industrial biotechnology. Our companies navigate the world of fermentation and bioreactors to sustainably produce food, feed, chemicals or materials. We provide affordable shared space for early-stage startups, ranging from state-of-the-art single-tenant buildings, allowing them to grow without leaving our campus or risking losing staff. We value personal connections and support each person’s journey of growth. We not only host biotech events, but we also invest in a strong community on campus that provides food, sports, and fun.
Thirdly, we are constantly expanding our professional network outside Delft. We are proud to work with experts in all fields, including technology, business, and politics. We are working on partnerships with Europe and preparing to expand globally.
What are the biggest opportunities for biotechnology in the health of the planet?
First, let’s talk about food. As the world’s population grows towards 10 billion people in the coming decades, it is proving impossible to provide enough animal protein for every citizen on Earth. Biotechnology offers a great opportunity to support the protein transition, a move away from traditional livestock protein consumption. For example, precision fermentation of milk and egg proteins is a powerful way to produce individual, nature-identical proteins from microorganisms, and its commercialization is increasing worldwide. Although cell culture products are some distance from market introduction, they have been extensively researched. I anticipate that the first ingredient will be a cell-cultured fat-like material that improves the flavor of plant-based meat alternatives. The next step could be the availability of whole-cut products based on muscle, fat, and connective tissue.
We also see significant opportunities in upcycling waste. Chemical wastes such as agricultural and urban side streams and even exhaust gases can be used as feedstock for microorganisms and can be converted into useful basic molecules such as ethanol or more complex molecules such as proteins. Certain microorganisms, such as fungi, yeast, and bacteria, do not require gene editing or complex downstream processing because their mere biomass serves as food, feed, or biomaterial.
Interestingly, biotechnology is increasingly being mentioned in the context of geopolitical tensions and dual use, as it offers opportunities to create economic independence through local sourcing and production.
On the technological front, miniaturization, robotization, digitalization, and AI are rapidly gaining popularity in the field of biotechnology. The benefits range from fast and efficient discovery to highly controlled and optimized industrial production.
And what is the biggest challenge going forward?
Biotechnology is a powerful technology and almost anything is possible at the laboratory scale. Challenges arise when production processes need to be scaled up, requiring specific knowledge and significant investment. The investment risk is significant as demo-sized production must begin prior to regulatory approval and market acceptance. Regulatory approvals have been slower in Europe than in most other parts of the world, creating a risk that companies may prefer to exit Europe. Market acceptance of biotechnology products must be carefully calibrated, as they must be carefully calibrated. Price, performance and safety are important and must be communicated transparently.
What do you think Planet B.io will look like in 5 years?
We hope that Planet B.io will be recognized as Europe’s biosolutions hub for the health of the planet. We aim to have up to 50 companies on campus, including 1-2 new companies. We also want to upgrade greenfield land with shared production facilities so we can scale up our production in Delft. Furthermore, we hope that new European legislation, such as the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and the EU Biotechnology Act, will yield positive results by creating better conditions for innovative start-ups to grow in Europe.
I hope my team continues to be a dream team. We have an incredible group of 10 people working together, driven by the same deep intention to create a better world with biotechnology. We hope that the team will continue to grow with the number of companies in our community and the size of our national and international network.
No matter what happens, we will continue to be driven by our fundamental belief that collaboration is necessary to transform innovation into economic and social success. New fields require innovation ecosystems like Planet B.io to align the interests and join forces of companies, research institutes, NGOs, political organizations and financial institutions. It’s been said before, but I’d like to repeat it. If you think you can do it all by yourself, you’re not thinking big enough.
This article will also be published in the quarterly magazine issue 24.
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