The ProteInn Club

The ProteInn Club is a collaborative platform focused on fermentation-based proteins and the wider value chain around them. It brings together actors working on feedstocks, microorganisms, process development, protein processing, end-product development, and policy to support the transition toward more sustainable protein sources. The organization presents itself as a connector, knowledge hub, and catalyst for innovation. Through workshops, demonstrations, tools, and shared research, it helps researchers, entrepreneurs, and companies explore opportunities in biomass and precision fermentation and move concepts closer to industrial reality. The ProteInn Club is built around a partnership between Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, Ghent University/CAPTURE, and ILVO, with an industrial sounding board that links companies across the ecosystem. Its positioning is strongly ecosystem-oriented: it aims to identify, connect, support, and inspire the full fermentation-based protein chain rather than operate as a single-product business. Core Values Collaboration : The ProteInn Club emphasizes open cooperation across the full value chain, bringing together companies, researchers, and policy stakeholders to solve shared challenges. Knowledge sharing : It focuses on making research, practical tools, and ecosystem insights accessible so that users can make better decisions earlier in development. Sustainability : The mission is tied to more sustainable food systems and a circular bio-economy, with fermentation-based proteins positioned as part of that transition. Innovation enablement : The club supports experimentation, workshops, and tools that help turn emerging fermentation concepts into workable industrial opportunities. Unique Aspects Cross-partner foundation : The ProteInn Club is a collaboration between Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant, UGent/CAPTURE, and ILVO, combining pilot-scale processing, academic research, and applied agricultural-food research. Full value-chain focus : It does not focus on one technology step alone; instead, it connects feedstock suppliers, technology providers, protein processors, end-product developers, and policymakers across the entire fermentation-based protein chain. Practical decision-support tools : Its value chain tool, microorganism database, and TEA quick scan translate fragmented information into usable screening tools for R&D and commercialization decisions. Industry sounding board : The industrial sounding board structure gives member companies a formal way to share process parameters, cost drivers, and market realities, helping shape the tools and studies around real-world needs. Named ecosystem projects : The club is involved in initiatives such as Ferm Eiwit, supported by VLAIO, and has developed tools and studies with partners including Ur Brightside.