MicroHarvest selects industrial complex for protein scale-up

MicroHarvest, a leading German biotech pioneer in microbial protein, officially announced that it has selected Industriepark Leuna in Saxony-Anhalt as the site for its first industrial-scale production facility.

The project marks a pivotal shift from pilot operations to mass manufacturing for the Hamburg-based company. With a planned annual capacity of 15,000 tonnes of sustainable protein, the facility represents a mid-range double-digit million Euro investment and is expected to create approximately 25 high-tech jobs in the region.

The announcement was celebrated on-site today by MicroHarvest leadership and high-level political figures, including Sven Schulze, the recently inaugurated Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, and Gitta Connemann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

The decision to anchor in Leuna follows an exhaustive search across 40 European sites. MicroHarvest leadership cited the location’s superior industrial infrastructure and established biotechnology ecosystem as the primary drivers for the choice.

“Selecting Leuna is a decisive step as we move from building the technology to building industrial capacity,” said Katelijne Bekers, co-founder and CEO of MicroHarvest. “This project is about strengthening European supply resilience by adding a new, scalable protein ingredient pathway that is independent of seasons and climate volatility.”

The planned facility will utilise biomass fermentation to convert regional agri-food side streams — primarily molasses — into high-quality protein ingredients. This “circular” approach offers a significant advantage over traditional agriculture:

• Speed: protein production takes hours rather than months.
• Resilience: the process is weather-independent and uses minimal land and water.
• Local supply: by using regional feedstock, MicroHarvest ensures a short, secure supply chain.

The project is backed by a €5.46 million grant from Germany’s Federal Funding Programme for Energy and Resource Efficiency in Industry (EEW), aimed at accelerating resource-efficient industrial biomanufacturing.

MicroHarvest is entering a rapidly maturing market. With the German protein market projected to reach nearly $900 million in 2026, the demand for sustainable, clean-label ingredients is at an all-time high. The company already reports strong demand visibility, having successfully launched products with partners like Vegdog and The Pack.

Construction is set to progress immediately, with an indicative timeline targeting the start of production in early 2028.