German biotech company MicroHarvest has chosen Industriepark Leuna in Saxony-Anhalt as the location for its first large-scale production plant. The facility will have an annual capacity of 15,000 tonnes and is expected to create around 25 jobs. MicroHarvest has received a grant of €5.46 million from Germany’s Federal Funding Programme for Energy and Resource Efficiency in Industry to support the scale-up of their industrial biomanufacturing process.

The decision to locate the plant in Leuna was influenced by the strong regional feedstock proximity, high-quality industrial infrastructure, and well-established industrial cluster in the area. MicroHarvest plans to use agri-food side streams as feedstock, primarily molasses, to ensure a local and secure supply chain. The company is also collaborating with local partners and stakeholders to advance the biotech-enabled, resource-efficient production pathways in the region, with a start of production targeted in approximately two years.