Brabant strengthens position as leader in plant-based food

Brabant is taking an ambitious step towards a sustainable future with a focus on plant-based food. The province aims to become Europe’s primary scale-up hotspot for plant-based food in the coming years. Collaboration between the Province of North Brabant, the Brabant Development Agency (BOM), and REWIN West-Brabant forms a solid foundation for this transition.

Geographically, Brabant is located between key food innovation centers such as Ghent, Delft, and Wageningen. The region has almost the entire chain needed for efficient production of plant-based food innovations. However, it lacks facilities where start-ups can scale up their ideas and quickly bring them to market. To bridge this gap, efforts are being made to scale up plant-based food start-ups.

Provincial Executive Martijn van Gruijthuijsen highlights the importance of this development: “Under the motto 'Brabant, the Scale-Up Plant of Europe,’ we want to be internationally recognized in five years as the leading scale-up hotspot for plant-based start-ups. Our unique combination of a robust agrifood sector and a strong high-tech manufacturing industry offers a great opportunity for this.”

Support for start-ups

BOM and REWIN West-Brabant are committed to supporting start-ups in the scaling phase. Brigit van Dijk-van de Reijt, CEO of BOM, explains that developing and scaling up functional food ingredients requires extensive knowledge, expertise, and capital. The scale-up plant provides the necessary facilities and networks to tackle these challenges and present plant-based food as a viable alternative in the market.

Stephanie ter Borg, director of REWIN West-Brabant, adds that the organization acts as a connector within the ecosystem, bringing together relevant parties to create impact. Bridging the gap between innovations and market introduction is crucial. Therefore, a network of accessible pilot, demo, and full-scale facilities is being established. Existing companies can join this initiative and collaborate with start-ups.

International collaboration and investment

The collaborating partners also focus on international positioning and acquisition. Partnerships with international start-ups are being established, and BOM will invest in participating food start-ups where possible. Through this, Brabant aims to smartly market its knowledge and innovations and play a leading role in the protein transition.

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