“Europe has exceptional science but struggles with translation. The reasons are structural. First, the financial models commonly used– especially venture capital – are misaligned with the capital intensity and timelines of deep industrial innovation.”. To say it – in this interview with Il Bioeconomista – is Massimo Portincaso, CEO Arsenale Bioyards, the Italy-headquartered company with a proprietary end-to-end platform that makes biomanufacturing via precision fermentation economically viable
at industrial scale – for the very first time.
Interview by Mario Bonaccorso
Mr. Portincaso, could you explain us exactly what Arsenale Bioyards is doing and why is so revolutionary?
We are building the industrial and data backbone of the bioeconomy. At Arsenale, we believe the future of industry is biological – not in a return to nature, but in making nature industrial. Our platform leverages precision fermentation and integrates hardware, data, and AI to radically reduce the cost and complexity of scaling biomanufacturing.
What’s revolutionary is that we don’t just optimize biology in a lab– we co-design with nature from the outset in industrial conditions. Our goal is to fundamentally change the cost structure of precision fermentation by bringing the industrial conditions in the lab, and not vice versa. By doing so, we want to transform what is today a scientific endeavor into an industrial one. We have built a modular system that starts with the lab but thinks like a factory. By aligning the design of organisms with the real-world industrial conditions they’ll operate in, we eliminate one of the largest barriers in biotech: the scaling gap.
We want to move away from making niche ingredients. It’s about redoing, for the better, the production foundations of civilization – replacing petrochemicals and animal-based systems with bio-based alternatives that are smarter, cleaner, and more efficient.
You have recently received a seed investment of € 10 million by different VCs. What are the next steps of your company?
The capital raised is enabling us to industrialize our platform. In the short term, we are completing our pilot facility in Pordenone and deploying the full version of “Piccolo” – our 48-reactor microbioreactor battery and integrating our Design@Scale AI engine. We are also beginning the design and planning of our first FOAK (First-Of-A-Kind) commercial Bioyard facility.
Simultaneously, we’re actively engaging with scale-ups and incumbent players to begin co-developing applications. Our goal is not to become a product company, but to enable a new industrial ecosystem – building the infrastructure, generating the data, and providing the design capabilities that make biomanufacturing economically viable.
As far as you’re concerned why is so difficult in Europe to scale up and reach the market for innovative bioproducts?
Europe has exceptional science but struggles with translation. The reasons are structural. First, the financial models commonly used– especially venture capital – are misaligned with the capital intensity and timelines of deep industrial innovation. Second, there’s a lack of coordinated infrastructure and permitting frameworks. Third, most biomanufacturing projects remain molecule-specific, which hampers standardization and thus scalability.
We believe a fundamental shift is needed: from product-centric development to platform-centric infrastructure. At Arsenale, we’re building that platform – a molecule-agnostic, standardized system that can attract project finance and scale like any other industrial asset.
What are your expectations related to the new bioeconomy strategy that the European Commission will present by the end of October?
We hope for a shift in mindset – from subsidy-led innovation to infrastructure-led deployment. The new bioeconomy strategy should recognize biomanufacturing as strategic infrastructure, just like digital or energy networks. That means enabling faster permitting, harmonized regulatory pathways, and financial mechanisms to de-risk industrial-scale builds.
If Europe wants to lead in bioeconomy, it must build with the same clarity and intent it applied to energy transition or semiconductors. That means combining industrial policy, innovation funding, and strategic procurement in a coherent effort.
What are the policies that are still missing in the EU in order to make the circular bioeconomy completely happen?
Three policies are critical.
First, demand signals. Europe must act as a first buyer – through procurement policies that favor biobased alternatives in sectors like construction, defense, and public catering.
Second, financial structuring. We need instruments to support project finance for infrastructure, not just equity for start-ups. Guarantees, green bonds, and co-investments can unlock industrial-scale builds.
Third, regulatory clarity. We must simplify and harmonize rules for precision fermentation and other new biotechnologies across member states, removing the ambiguity that deters investment.
Ultimately, Europe must treat the bioeconomy not as a green niche, but as the new operating system for industrial value creation.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 