Saatja: "Thomas Schmidt" <
[email protected]>
Saaja: "info - MKM" <
[email protected]>
Teema: European Competitiveness in Biotech
Kuupäev: 2025-10-06 15:39
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.
Dear Marie Allikmaa,
It was a privilege to meet you at the High-Level Summit for Biosolutions
in Copenhagen this July. I am grateful for the opportunity to present
21st.BIO’s work, and to highlight why Europe must act decisively now to
safeguard and expand its global leadership in biotech and in particular
within precision fermentation.
Precision Fermentation is a European Invention
Precision fermentation uses microbes in fermentation tanks to produce
specific proteins and peptides. With a carbon source such as sugar, these
microbes create high-quality proteins for human nutrition. This technology
was invented and developed in Europe. For over four decades, it has
delivered life-changing products: insulin, enzymes, food ingredients, and
more. It is efficient and sustainable. For example, it requires only 10%
of the land compared to conventional agriculture to produce high-quality
protein and offers a sharply reduced environmental footprint.
A Strategic Technology for Europe
Precision fermentation has the potential to:
* Close the global protein gap – Europe is unfortunately a net
importer of protein,
* Strengthen Europe’s food security and self-sufficiency,
* Secure supply chain predictability and prices,
* Deliver sustainable nutrition to citizens, and
* Secure Europe’s role as a global leader in biotechnology.
The United States and China have already prioritized precision
fermentation as a strategic technology, backed by fast-track approvals and
predictable supportive investment frameworks. Europe risks losing ground:
our technologies are invented here, but they are being scaled outside
Europe. The result is that we risk seeing factories, jobs, technology
development, and supply chains moving abroad.
21st.BIO is a Clear Example
At 21st.BIO, we produce technology for production of high-value milk
proteins through precision fermentation. In the United States, approval
for our protein was granted within one year. In Europe, the same clean,
animal-identical protein faces a regulatory process expected to take more
than five years. This mismatch drives investments, industrial facilities,
and innovation out of Europe.
Europe Must Lead, Not Follow
We cannot allow a strategic field of biotechnology to slip away. Europe
has the foundation to lead – not only in innovation, but in industrial
scale-up. What is needed now is the ambition and policy framework to turn
potential into competitive advantage.
Recommendations
1. Adopt an EU-wide ambition, vision, and strategy for leadership in
industrial biotechnology.
2. Introduce fast-track approvals for well-characterized,
animal-identical proteins.
3. Modernize EFSA’s procedures to ensure global competitiveness,
focusing on:
o Speed: approvals in 1-2 years, not 5+ years,
o Predictability: alignment and pre-application support,
o Focus: assessment of the product, not the process.
4. Launch competitive funding schemes for European protein
‘mega-factories’, with direct government backing – similar to what can be
envisioned with AI mega-factories.
5. Establish EU and national strategies for protein self-sufficiency
and bio-based value chains, from raw materials (e.g., sugar) to industrial
production and market adoption.
Conclusion
Europe invented precision fermentation. With decisive action, we can also
own its future. By accelerating regulation, aligning strategy, and backing
industrial scale-up, Europe can retain global leadership in biotechnology,
build resilient supply chains, and create sustainable growth for decades
to come.
We at 21st.BIO are ready to support your efforts to strengthen Europe’s
bioeconomy, sovereignty, and technology leadership. We hope the
forthcoming EU Biotech Act will seize this opportunity. For that we need a
broad and bold Biotech Act.
That is why we urge you to come together and make it clear, that precision
fermentation and other biotechnologies are the next industries not to lose
to the US and China. We must act now to capture the full potential for
Europe’s economic development, its ability to be self-sufficient, and its
technology leadership in biotechnology.
With respect,
Thomas Schmidt
CEO & Co-founder, 21st.BIO
Thomas G. Schmidt
Founder & CEO
+45 40 19 44 00
Delivering Innovative Biology
Sydmarken 42, DK-2860 Søborg/Copenhagen
www.21st.bio <http://www.21st.bio/>
Copenhagen, October 2025
Delivering
Innovative
Biology
Letter to European Political Decision Makers www.21st.bio
Dear Ministers and Representatives of Member States, the European Commission, and the European
Investment Bank,
It was a privilege to meet you at the Biosolutions Gala Dinner this July, during the Informal Meeting of
Ministers for Competitiveness. I am grateful for the opportunity to present 21st.BIO’s work, and to
highlight why Europe must act decisively now to safeguard and expand its leadership in precision
fermentation.
Precision Fermentation: a Strategic Opportunity for Europe
Precision Fermentation is a proven biotechnology that uses microorganisms in fermentation tanks to produce
specific proteins and peptides. It is a core strategic technology for future production of a long range of
products from food and nutrition, sustainable materials, to replacements for conventional chemicals.
Precision fermentation technology was invented and developed in Europe, and has been used for decades to
produce insulin, enzymes, and food ingredients. Europe has the knowledge base and innovation not only to
build the resilience and sustainability of its own supply chains, but to continue to lead and scale this
technology globally.
Precision fermentation can help meet the rising demand for protein in an efficient and sustainable way. By
2035, the world will need up to 60% more protein than what is currently produced.
Producing milk protein via precision fermentation is sustainable. It uses 90% less land and water than cows
and has a sharply reduced environmental footprint. The production process can run on local raw materials
grown by local farmers and processed by local industry. It can secure the supply needed while building on
Europe’s strong tradition in food production.
Producing food and nutrition like this will therefore strengthen Europe’s self-sufficiency, secure supply chains,
and help stabilize nutrition prices. And with the right policy framework, it can help Europe meet rising protein
demand, reduce environmental impacts, secure long-term food resilience and drive global technology
leadership.
A Critical Strategic Technology for Europe
Precision fermentation has the potential to:
• Close the global protein gap – Europe is unfortunately a net importer of protein,
• Strengthen Europe’s food security and self-sufficiency,
• Secure supply chain predictability and price stability,
• Deliver sustainable nutrition to our citizens,
• Secure Europe’s role as a global leader in biotechnology.
The United States and China have already prioritized precision fermentation as a strategic technology, backed
by fast-track approvals and predictable supportive investment frameworks. Europe risks losing ground: our
technologies are invented here, but they are being scaled outside Europe. The result is that we risk to see
factories, jobs, technology development, and supply chains moving abroad.
21st.BIO is a Clear Example
At 21st.BIO, we produce technology for production of high-value milk proteins through precision fermentation.
In the United States, approval for our protein was granted within one year. In Europe, the same clean, animal-
identical protein faces a regulatory process expected to take more than five years. This mismatch drives
investments, industrial facilities, and innovation out of Europe.
Europe Must Lead, Not Follow
We cannot allow a strategic field of biotechnology to slip away. Biotechnology is a core battlefield for both US
and China. Europe has the foundation to lead – not only in innovation, but in industrial scale-up. No European
country alone has the resources to build the industrial capacity to lead this globally. What is needed now is the
European ambition and policy framework to turn potential into competitive advantage.
Recommendations
1. Adopt an EU-wide ambition, vision, and strategy for leadership in industrial biotechnology.
2. Introduce fast-track approvals for well-characterized, animal-identical proteins.
3. Modernize EFSA’s procedures to ensure global competitiveness, focusing on:
• Speed: approvals in 1-2 years, not 5+ years,
• Predictability: alignment and pre-application support, • Focus: assessment of the
product, not the process.
4. Launch competitive funding schemes for European protein ‘mega-factories’, to encourage private and
public investments – similar to AI mega-factories.
5. Establish EU and national strategies for protein self-sufficiency and bio-based value chains, from raw
materials (e.g., sugar) to industrial production and market adoption.
Conclusion
Europe invented precision fermentation. It is a critical strategic technology. With decisive action, we can also
own its future. By accelerating regulation, aligning strategy, and backing industrial scale-up, Europe can retain
global leadership in biotechnology, build resilient supply chains, and create sustainable growth for decades to
come.
We hope the forthcoming EU Biotech Act will seize this opportunity and become a broad and bold Biotech Act.
The choice is between hesitation and leadership. Europe has the talent, the science, and the industrial base.
What is needed now is the leadership and the confidence to act. Let us set the ambition and turn ambition into
action.
With respect,
Thomas Schmidt,
CEO & Co-founder, 21st.BIO