Cultivated meat consortium receives $18 million grant from Israel Innovation Authority
Cultivated meat consortium receives $18 million grant from Israel Innovation Authority
The consortium of 14 companies and 10 academic labs aims to develop more efficient, cost-competitive production methods and pilot scale-up opportunities that are aligned with the food industry of cultivated meat
An Israeli consortium consisting of 14 companies, including some of the leading cultivated meat companies in the world as well as 10 academic labs, has been granted $18 million by the Israel Innovation Authority for its entire duration of three years. The establishment of the consortium was led by Good Food Institute Israel (GFI) grantee, Gaya Savion, who is responsible for initiating and coordinating the project, and Tnuva Group, the largest Israeli food manufacturer, who also heads the consortium.
The consortium aims to develop more efficient, cost-competitive production methods and pilot scale-up opportunities that are aligned with the food industry of cultivated meat. It is part of the Israeli Innovation Authority’s Magnet Consortiums Program which advances pre-competitive generic R&D.
Recently, along with the progressive development in R&D of cultivated meat technologies, Israel saw the rise of a regulatory pilot program for public distribution of cultivated meat, conducted in collaboration between Israel’s National food Service (Ministry of Health) and the Israel Innovation Authority.
“The synchronization between the innovation in food technologies and regulation is crucial in ensuring that we provide these technologies with a clear path to market and capitalize on the advantages that these technologies bring,” said Alla Voldman-Rantzer, Director of Strategic Alliances at GFI Israel. “Now, more than ever, governments need to find ways to ensure national food security. Alternative protein technologies, and cultivated meat, in particular, are essential components in that regard, just as they are essential in bringing forth a sustainable and just protein supply.”
Shai Cohen, Chief Innovation Officer at Tnuva Group and Chairperson of the Consortium added: “This is an unprecedented governmental commitment on a global scale, in a cellular agriculture consortium and more particularly cultivated meat which will enable Israel to maintain its leadership in one of the most significant areas in Foodtech.”
Among the companies in the consortium are Aleph Farms and SuperMeat, with participating academic institutes including Hebrew University, Tel Aviv University, and the Technion.
The global market for meat is estimated at an annual $1.4 trillion. McKinsey & Company estimated the cultivated meat market to reach $20 billion by 2030. Over 36% of all global investment in cultured meat companies is for Israeli ones according to the latest report published by GFI and second only to the U.S., with six new cultured meat companies founded in 2021 alone.
