September 23, 2026
FaBA fast tracks innovation: Australia’s first food-grade pilot-scale precision fermentation facility
Companies developing the next generation of food, ingredients and biomanufacturing now have access to a food-grade pilot-scale precision fermentation facility, right here in Australia.
The QUT Pioneer BioPilot provides a critical bridge between lab-scale discovery and commercial production, helping companies accelerate the development, testing and validation of novel products so they can reach market sooner.
Located in Mackay’s Pioneer Valley, the facility is Australia’s first PC2-compliant precision fermentation pilot-scale facility, following recent approval by the Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.
The opening marks an important milestone for Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), which has invested alongside QUT and government partners to expand Australia’s precision fermentation and biomanufacturing capability.
Dr Leon Scott, Director Research Infrastructure Operations, QUT said the facility would address one of the biggest challenges facing companies developing products through precision fermentation and synthetic biology.
“The QUT Pioneer BioPilot provides industry with access to the infrastructure, expertise and scale-up capability needed to translate promising research into commercially relevant outcomes,” Dr Scott said.
“By supporting product development at pilot scale, we can help companies de-risk innovation and accelerate their pathway towards commercial production.”
The BioPilot’s capabilities include:
- Food-grade pilot-scale precision fermentation
- Certified containment facilities supporting work with recombinant organisms
- Flexible fermentation systems ranging from 100L to 2,400L
- Production of proteins, enzymes, whole-cell products and industrial chemicals
- Downstream processing, purification and product drying capabilities
- Alternative feedstock development using sucrose and biomass-derived materials
- In-process quality control and advanced analytical support
- Access to industrial-scale centrifugation, filtration and homogenisation technologies.
FaBA Director Dr Chris Downs said the BioPilot strengthens FaBA’s unique infrastructure network, which provides companies with access to bioreactors and fermentation capability from laboratory scale through to 2,400L fermenters for pilot-scale manufacturing.
“One of the most significant barriers facing emerging food technology companies is access to scale-up infrastructure,” Dr Downs said.
“This end-to-end Australian capability enables companies to move more efficiently through the development pipeline, reducing scale-up risks and helping promising technologies reach market faster.”
The BioPilot was recently showcased during an industry webinar hosted by QUT and FaBA. Watch the webinar here
Contact Sally Wilson, Senior Manager – Industry Engagement, QUT or the FaBA Business Development and Commercialisation Team for more details.