The UK government has announced a £184m investment to boost the bioengineering sector, as part of its new Industrial Strategy. The funding, provided by Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, aims to create and scale up pilot plants and industrial-scale production facilities, also benefiting companies active in cultured meat, cellular ingredients and fermented foods.
The plan specifically mentions Multus, a London-based startup specializing in cultured meat, to highlight the existence of regional hubs of excellence in biological engineering. Multus itself recently launched Proliferum B, a new animal-free alternative to Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS), designed for the cellular agriculture sector.
A key role will also be played by the regulatory sandbox for cultured meat, funded with £1,6 million and unique in Europe: it is a testing environment in which UK regulators can strengthen their scientific expertise on the subject. The government now intends to scale up the initiative in collaboration with the new Regulatory Innovation Office, promoting the responsible adoption of biological engineering innovations.
According to GFI Europe, the UK has already invested £75 million in alternative protein innovation and has opened four dedicated research centres. However, a lack of infrastructure is still a barrier to commercialising scientific discoveries. A study by the Green Alliance estimates that, with adequate regulatory reform and public investment, alternative proteins could generate £6,8 billion annually and 25.000 new jobs by 2035.
“It’s great to see the government recognise the UK’s strengths in bioengineering and make a real commitment to growing the sector,” said Linus Pardoe, policy manager at GFI Europe. “The UK has everything it needs to become a world leader in the development and commercialisation of alternative proteins.”
