Bio-Engineering Scale-Up Qorium Showcases Cultivated Leather Breakthrough, Signalling a Key Step Towards Commercialisation
October 15 2024 - 5:00AM
Business Wire
Cultivated leather pioneer Qorium has released footage of its
latest sample of lab-grown leather. Measuring 35x35cm, the material
has been produced using the company’s newly scaled-up tissue
bioreactor, representing proof of concept for full-scale
commercialisation of the company’s production process, which takes
a small sample of skin cells from a living cow and reproduces them
in a lab to create leather with the same strength, durability and
appearance of traditionally-produced animal-derived leather.
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Measuring 35x35cm, the material has been
produced using the company’s newly scaled-up tissue bioreactor,
representing proof of concept for full-scale commercialisation of
the company’s production process. (Photo: Business Wire)
When produced at a commercial scale, Qorium’s material will
require a fraction of the water and energy needed to rear and
process animal hides, minimising climate impact while eliminating
animal welfare issues – all critical considerations for consumer
brands. Qorium is partnering with a range of high end fashion and
automotive brands to co-develop its materials and to become a
scaled supplier.
The company has accelerated its growth trajectory following a
recent funding round, announcing the hire of a new CFO, and
investing in new equipment at its Maastricht University-based
lab.
Qorium CEO Michael Newton said, “this sample is tangible proof
that a future where high quality, high-performing leather can be
produced on-demand, without the animal welfare and environmental
disadvantages of traditional material, is just around the corner.
The challenge of scaling-up a process has been a tough one, and
this latest breakthrough is a testament to the hard work of our
excellent science and engineering teams.”
Qorium founder Mark Post said, “The fact that with a relatively
small team, in a relatively short amount of time, we have been able
to create high-quality sheets of leather that demonstrate scalable
production processes shows that we’re on track towards having a
product that’s ready for market. From a science perspective, we
still have much work to do but the principal challenges are now
overcome. The next pieces of the puzzle are focused on continued
product optimization, cost reduction and process engineering, where
we’re already seeing very positive progress. The future certainly
looks very promising for cellular agriculture.”
About Qorium
Qorium is the world’s leading cell-cultured leather company.
Qorium’s leather comes with dramatically reduced carbon emissions,
no methane emissions and radically reduced water and chemical use
compared to traditional leather, with no ties to the livestock
industry or the polluting processes necessary in the processing of
animal hides.
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