VACAVILLE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The California Biomanufacturing Center (CBC) today launched the BioProcess to Product (BioP2P) Network, a program to accelerate the transformation of manufacturing in the United States for the growing bioeconomy.
CBC recognizes the challenges facing this growing sector in bringing products from the lab to commercial scale. Its BioP2P Network will engage the industry broadly to work together to tackle these challenges.
CBC was established in 2020 as a public-private partnership of companies, workforce, and government agencies supporting the growth of biomanufacturing as a high-value, strategic sector. The leadership at CBC has been engaged in the bioeconomy for more than two decades dating back to first-generation industrial enzymes to the current new generation of precision fermentation.
Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt that bets early on exceptional people solving hard problems in science and society, is supporting the BioP2P Network. CBC is using the Schmidt Futures grant to bring together stakeholders across the United States to foster scale-up for non-biomedical technology developers across the country to move from pilot to commercial production.
The support comes on the heels of the Biden Administration unveiling its national biomanufacturing initiative, signaling major investment to drive research and development, grow capacity, and expand market opportunities. It also follows a $13 billion surge in new investment in the bioeconomy in 2021.
In April, Schmidt Futures released its Bioeconomy Strategy, which underscores the potential of biomanufacturing to reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, revitalize the manufacturing sector, and create more resilient supply chains. It also recognized national security and national competitiveness issues as critical reasons for why it is essential for the United States to act. Among the critical challenges it identified was the lack of scalable and flexible biomanufacturing capabilities.
An initial priority for the BioP2P Network will be to create a national inventory of validated, scale-up facilities. This open-access inventory of facilities will allow developers to readily partner. The BioP2P network will serve as a first-of-its-kind marketplace for these interactions to flourish.
“As we’ve seen with the Biden Administration’s initiative, Schmidt Futures is creating a national discussion about the emerging bioeconomy and the need for the United States to lead the way forward,” said Matt Gardner, founder and chair of the California Biomanufacturing Center. “A new generation of companies are seeking to harness biology to create clean and cost-effective production facilities. This grant will give CBC the resources necessary to help biomanufacturers navigate the path from pilot to commercial-scale manufacturing.”
The BioP2P Network will begin meeting this month to help companies identify scale-up processor capacity around the country that is available to them.
“Schmidt Futures is eager to support the work of the BioP2P Network to foster greater links between bioeconomy entrepreneurs and the experienced processors who can help them reach their potential,” said Dr. Andrea Hodgson, Program Scientist of the BioFutures Program at Schmidt Futures.
About the California Biomanufacturing Center and the BioP2P Network
The California Biomanufacturing Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting industry development, workforce, and training. The BioProcess to Product Network (BioP2P) is a national initiative working to identify capacity and help biomanufacturers accelerate the process of expanding biomanufacturing from pilot to commercial scale. More information can be found at www.biomanufacturing.net
About Schmidt Futures
Schmidt Futures bets early on exceptional people making the world better. Founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative that brings talented people together in networks to prove out their ideas and solve hard problems in science and society. To learn more about our method and the diverse types of capital and tools that we deploy, visit https://www.schmidtfutures.com
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