Third Cellular Agriculture Conference highlights progress in sustainable food and material production

“We are on an important journey to produce food sustainably and we should do this in interdisciplinary collaboration. The discussions, engagement, and genuine interest in learning about each other’s work throughout the conference make me hopeful for the future!” says Eva Nordberg Karlsson, Professor at the Division of Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology at Lund University, and one of the conference's main organisers.

She reflects that the programme, which featured a mix of science talks, industry presentations and panels, presented a good overview of the forefront of cellular agricultural research within the Nordic region. The meeting in Lund was the third time the conference was organised, following earlier meetings in Helsinki, Finland and Aarhus, Denmark.

She is proud to see the strong development of the field since 2023, when the first conference was held.

“Only in a few years, so much new research and initiatives have developed around different topics in cellular agriculture such as precision fermentation and solid-state fermentation."

Gathering regularly is important for building collaborations, networks and more unified research and industry efforts, she emphasises.

“We cannot work in silos if we are serious about developing new and more sustainable foods and materials from biomass. It is only through collaboration that we can achieve substantial impact.”

Strong potential in the Nordic Region

Biotech Heights was one of the co-organisers of the conference. For Managing Director Emma Nordell, the event brought home the strong potential that exists in the Nordic region for cellular agriculture to truly transform the food system.

“We have the research, the knowledge and the infrastructures to make a difference. But we are still lacking important government investments and a demo plant to support research ideas to transition from start-ups to large scale production,” says Emma Nordell.

She took part in a conference panel on the importance of national leadership for making EU regulation on new foods less complex and easier to navigate for companies looking to produce new foods from, for example, fungi.  

“At Biotech Heights, this is one of our key aims: supporting companies to create jobs and opportunities in biotechnology in Sweden and Europe. We need companies to stay here, not just for economic reasons, but for self-sufficiency, resilience and sustainability.”

Next conference in 2028!

The next conference will be held in 2028, and the location will be decided in the next few weeks.

Eva Nordberg Karlsson is glad to see the initiative continuing.

“I expect we will see even more results over the next two years! I am especially excited about developments in solid-state fermentation techniques that can reduce water and energy use, as well as precision fermentation of plant-based whey and milk proteins.”

Emma Nordell agrees. For her, progress on EU regulation and long-term funding are areas where she hopes Biotech Heights will have made an impact by then.

“It is clear that there is a strong commitment among everyone working in this field to push for regulatory change. Policy makers are also becoming more aware of the potential of biotechnology to change the food sector.”

Read more about the conference

The conference was sponsored by LTH Profile Area Food and Bio, EIT Food at Lund University and HØIBERG.

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