The agricultural cooperative fenaco and the School of Life Sciences und Facility Management, a department of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) that is based in Wädenswil in the canton of Zurich, have agreed a long-term research collaboration. By developing innovative methods for the production of plant-based cell and tissue cultures, the research partners are aiming to advance and promote the field of cellular agriculture.
“We expect to generate crucial impetus for the food industry and will seek to examine cellular agriculture in terms of the new business opportunities it may present for our members, the Swiss farming community”, explains Christian Consoni, Head of the Food Division at fenaco, in a press release. In line with its cooperative mandate for its members, fenaco is investigating the potential of this business area without getting directly involved in the production of such cultures itself. As the two ZHAW institute directors involved, Christian Hinderling from the Institute for Chemistry and Biotechnology and Michael Kleinert from the Institute for Food and Beverage Innovation, underline, ZHAW will benefit from the practical expertise that the agricultural cooperative is bringing to the table as part of this joint research project.
The culture media for the plant cell cultures that fenaco and ZHAW intend to jointly research are based on domestic plant raw materials and by-products from the food production industry. In this way, food waste should also be reduced. The project was launched in February 2023, with results expected to be available by the end of 2025. mm
Related news
Meet with an expansion expert
Our services are free of charge and include:
- Introduction to key contacts in industry, academia, and government
- Advice on regulatory framework, taxes, labor, market, and setting up a company
- Custom-made fact-finding visits, including office and co-working space