Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Planetary, a pioneering Swiss company specializing in integrated biomass and precision fermentation and based in Geneva, has entered a partnership with the Japanese imaging technology leader Konica Minolta to enhance efficiency and lower production expenses of its bioprocesses.
Swiss biotech company Planetary and Japan's Konica Minolta join forces to reduce the cost of fermented proteins (© Planetary).
Innovative bioprocesses
Planetary and Konica Minolta aim to optimize fermentation control in real-time, leveraging Konica Minolta’s 150-year expertise in optics and imaging, combined with Planetary’s innovative bioprocesses. Their joint objective is to expedite the manufacturing of fermented proteins, such as dairy, egg, fats, and mycoproteins, to achieve competitive pricing against comparable products in the market.
The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that the bioeconomy could have a direct economic impact of up to 4 trillion dollars annually in the coming decades. Microbial fermentation is a crucial process within this economy, offering sustainable and scalable production methods for a wide range of bio-based products. Biomass fermentation leverages the rapid growth cycle and high protein content of many fungi to efficiently produce large quantities of protein.
Technological disruption
Ryutaro Mori, Chief Innovation Officer at Konica Minolta, highlighted the synergies between the two companies. “Konica Minolta’s process monitoring technologies, based on our extensive optics expertise, complement Planetary’s cutting-edge bioprocesses and dynamic startup energy,” Mori said.
David Brandes, Co-Founder & CEO of Planetary, emphasized the transformative potential of the partnership: “The shift in production systems towards fermentation-based biomanufacturing is disrupting traditional methods. By joining forces with Konica Minolta, we aim to harness real-time AI and data-driven sensing solutions to reduce the cost of goods sold by an additional 20-30%.”
Forefront of bioeconomy
Founded in 2021, Planetary is at the forefront of establishing essential production infrastructure for the bio-based economy. The company’s focus on aerobic microbial fermentation technology enables the production of food ingredients and bio-based materials at industrial volumes. Planetary’s global network of production sites and intellectual property development positions it as a key player in the bioeconomy revolution.
Headquartered in Tokyo, Konica Minolta is renowned for its imaging and sensing technologies. With plans to enter the fermentation space, the company aims to disrupt traditional fermentation sensors and introduce new, innovative technologies to the market.
Text: GGBA (Editing by SCCIJ)
