At the 2023 SynbioBeta Conference in Oakland, Ferment partner Brian Brazeau sat down with leaders in the bio-manufacturing infrastructure development, financing, and technology space to discuss the current state of biomanufacturing capacity, the most urgent infrastructure gaps in the industry, and the potential solutions in front of us - the global industrial biotechnology community - to confront those challenges.

Brian moderates a panel of industry experts & friends-of-Ferment including real estate investor Michael Davis (General Partner, Plymouth Group), continuous fermentation pioneer Shannon Hall (CEO, Pow.Bio), biomanufacturing entrepreneur Joshua Lachter (CBO, Synonym), and fermentation facility developer Mark Warner (CEO, Liberation Labs). 

Tune into the panel to hear more about:

• Panel Introductions (0:00-0:10): Hear each of the panelists unique backgrounds, including Brian’s journey ‘trading pipettes for steel-toed boots and a hard hat’ on the fermentation facility floor.

• The Economics of Biomanufacturing Facilities (0:11-0:20): The panelists discuss the economics of fermentation facilities and the financing stacks needed to develop new infrastructure.

• Strategies to Navigate Capacity Crunches (0:21-0:26): The panel shifts to discuss paths to more efficiently manage the existing infrastructure, ranging from emerging new technologies to exploring ‘fit-for-purpose’ facilities.

• Product-Driven Infrastructure Changes (0:26-0:34): As new products come onto the market, the panelists explore how these new product types open up new opportunities in manufacturing financing and facility development.

• Biomanufacturing Workforce (0:35-0:38): Labor force challenges to push the panel to explore what will need to change for the industry to scale.

• Open Q&A (0:38-0:45): The audience pushes on the geography of existing infrastructure, what it means to actually be operating on a scale, the supply chains of fermentation equipment, and how the community can learn from one another.

Watch a recap of this incisive panel below:

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