From Pilot Plant to Profitable Production: What It Takes to Win in Industrial Biotechnology In Partnership with Bühler Group

In Partnership With Bühler Group

Many industrial biotechnology companies can demonstrate success at laboratory and pilot scale, yet relatively few achieve sustainable commercial production. The transition from technical validation to profitable manufacturing requires more than strong science alone. It demands a clear understanding of customer needs, competitive economics, infrastructure strategy, and the realities of industrial-scale operations.

This webinar will explore the critical decisions that determine whether promising technologies become commercially viable businesses. Drawing on real-world experience across biomanufacturing and fermentation, the discussion will examine how companies can evaluate scale-up pathways, optimize production economics, and select the right manufacturing strategies to improve their chances of long-term success.

Key takeaways

• Why technical success at pilot scale does not automatically translate into commercial success
• The importance of defining customer requirements, market positioning, and target production costs before scaling
• How productivity, asset utilization, and capital efficiency influence manufacturing economics
• Why cost competitiveness remains one of the most important drivers of market adoption
• The advantages and trade-offs of CDMOs, shared infrastructure, and dedicated production facilities
• Emerging technologies that could improve fermentation economics and manufacturing performance

What attendees will learn

• How to assess commercial readiness beyond technical milestones
• The key economic metrics investors, partners, and customers evaluate during scale-up
• How infrastructure decisions can affect growth, risk, and capital requirements
• Practical approaches to reducing manufacturing costs and improving operational efficiency
• Where the biggest scale-up challenges occur between pilot and commercial production
• How next-generation biomanufacturing technologies could reshape industrial biotechnology economics

Who should attend

• Industrial biotechnology startups preparing for scale-up
• Fermentation, precision fermentation, and biomanufacturing companies
• Product developers and process engineers
• Manufacturing, operations, and scale-up teams
• Investors and strategic partners evaluating industrial biotechnology opportunities
• CDMOs and contract manufacturing providers
• Technology developers supplying equipment, infrastructure, and processing solutions
• Corporate innovation, R&D, and commercialization leaders

The session will conclude with a live Q&A where attendees can put their questions to the speakers (time permitting)