JBS Commences Work on Brazil’s First Cultivated Meat Research Center

JBS has begun construction on the JBS Biotech Innovation Center, Brazil’s inaugural Research, Development, and Innovation Center for cultivated meat. Scheduled to be operational by late 2024, the center will be located within the Sapiens Parque, an innovation park in the city of Florianópolis (SC), and will rank as the largest research center dedicated to food biotechnology in Brazil.

The JBS Biotech Innovation Center will receive an investment of US$ 22 million, encompassing civil construction and equipment acquisition for the establishment of laboratories (phase 1) and the pilot plant (phase 2). It will employ a scientific team of 25 postdocs, experts specializing in various fields, as well as staff and administrative support personnel.

“As a global leader in protein production, it is our duty to remain at the forefront of the food industry. The JBS Biotech Innovation Center underscores our belief in the cultivated meat sector, consolidates our position as one of the leading players in this very promising market, and reinforces our commitment to delivering innovative, high-quality products to consumers,” states JBS Global Supply and Innovation Director, Jerson Nascimento Jr.

The initial goal of the JBS Biotech Innovation Center is to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and economic competitiveness of the cultivated meat production process. The project is led by Dr. Luismar Marques Porto, president of the Cultured Meat Division and the JBS Biotech Innovation Center, and Dr. Fernanda Vieira Berti, vice-president of the Research Center. Both are two of the country’s leading bioengineering experts, with extensive international professional and academic experience.

“We are very pleased to be part of the first initiative of this magnitude in Brazil and to be able to contribute to studies that will help expand the sector. There’s no doubt that this project will become an international model,” says Porto.

The construction of the JBS Biotech Innovation Center received support from local authorities, including the governments of Santa Catarina and the city of Florianópolis. “We very much welcome the investment from one of the world’s largest food companies in Florianópolis. Moreover, we take great pride in hosting such a globally advanced research project in our city, which is a hub for technology and innovation,” Topázio Neto, mayor of Florianópolis, remarks.

Gov. Jorginho Mello of Santa Catarina stressed that JBS Biotech Innovation Center reinforces the state’s vocation for innovation. “For those of us who grew up watching cattle graze from our windows in the municipality of Herval D’Oeste, the concept of ‘cultivated meat’ may seem otherworldly. However, as a public administrator, it is impossible to ignore the challenges of the future, especially for countries lacking the extensive land resources of Brazil for cattle farming. It is great to see Santa Catarina once again embracing its innovative essence,” he says. Sapiens Parque is an initiative conceived by the state government.

Ongoing Research

The team of scientists at the JBS Biotech Innovation Center has already commenced work in temporary facilities within Sapiens Parque. Currently, their focus is on understanding the cellular biology of bovine species through exploratory research, with the aim of establishing cultivated beef production in the future.

In total, the JBS Biotech Innovation Center will require an investment of approximately US$ 62 million over three phases. The third phase involves the construction of an industrial-scale basic module to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of cultivated meat. This project will serve as a model for future plants that JBS may establish globally for the production of cultivated meat, including beef and others.

In addition to the project in Florianópolis, JBS has been developing research on cultivated meat in Spain. The company holds a majority stake of 51% in Biotech Foods, a Spanish company that is one of the European leaders in the sector and currently operates a pilot plant in San Sebastián, in the Basque region.

At the end of last year, Biotech Foods began construction on the world’s largest cultivated beef plant in San Sebastián. With an investment of US$ 41 million (equivalent to more than R$ 200 million), Biotech Foods’ first commercial-scale industrial plant is scheduled for completion in mid-2024. This investment is a significant milestone in the sector, as the plant, once finished, will have the capacity to produce over a thousand tons of cultivated meat annually, with the potential to expand its capacity to a staggering 4,000 tons a year.

Once it reaches the commercial stage, the cultivated meat produced by JBS will initially become available to consumers in the form of ready-made dishes, including hamburgers, sausages, meatballs, and various others. It will boast the same level of quality, safety, taste, and texture as conventional protein. This technology holds promise not only for beef protein production but also for chicken, pork, and fish.