Bio-Manufacturing or Bust as Aussie Scientist Slams ANZ for Sleeping on $30 Trillion Opportunity

LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE

Bio-manufacturing isn’t just for lab nerds and VC types. It’s the quiet force about to rewrite how we produce food, cosmetics, clothing, and even your future protein shake. Dr James Ryall, an Australian-based consultant and former Chief Scientist at VOW Foods and long-time insider in the cellular agriculture space, closed out the 2025 CellAg Symposium in Nelson with a rallying cry - Australia and New Zealand are sitting on a goldmine and doing nothing.

Source: Plant and Food Research (copyright) - Dr James Ryall addressing CellAg Conference

"Stop Thinking Small"

We’re talking dairy proteins made inside potatoes. Colouring agents made with crushed bugs. Ice cream that doesn’t melt in the sun. And meat made without animals. If you’ve ever bought oat milk, plant-based burgers, or beauty serums with ‘bio-fermented’ actives, welcome to the first wave of this movement.

“We Should Be Leading”

James Ryall made it clear - bio-manufacturing goes way beyond “lab meat.” Precision fermentation, cell-free systems, algae-derived ingredients - this is industrial-scale manufacturing powered by biology. McKinsey says it could touch 60% of consumer goods. The Boston Consulting Group estimates the sector could hit $30 trillion globally. Whether they’re right or way off, James Ryall says it doesn’t matter as the opportunity is obscene either way.

“Australia and New Zealand have no strategy, no funding, and no plan, despite having everything else,” James Ryall warned.

"The Missing Middle"

Startups can do bench-top magic and even secure commercial production via mega-facilities like Cauldron or Liberation Labs. But there’s nothing in between. That “missing middle” -pilot-scale production (5–1000L) -is a dead zone. James Ryall says this bottleneck is stalling promising companies right when they need to scale.

"Cost Crash - But Not Fast Enough"

Cell media used to cost $370/L in 2019. Now? Sub-$2/L. That’s a seismic drop. But producing food still demands extreme efficiency. “You can’t sell a $15 meatball and expect to change the world,” James Ryall joked.

“Regulation Is A Startup Killer.”

Most companies underestimate it. James Ryall says getting cultivated meat to market still takes 2–3 years of regulatory limbo, time most startups simply don’t have. The UK is pioneering a regulatory sandbox. ANZ? No such thing. “We need clear timelines and better support. Full stop.”

"Consumers Don’t Buy Ethics".

They buy taste, value, texture, and experience. “Nobody compares the carbon footprint of pasta sauces in the supermarket,” James Ryall quipped. If future food is going to win over mainstream eaters, it needs to be better and not just equal. His Impossible-meatball dinner story, where real beef fooled everyone, nailed the point: “Don’t say it’s close. Say it’s better.”

“Target meat eaters. Don’t waste your pitch on vegans, they’re already doing the work.”

"Bigger Than Burgers"

Ryall pointed to precision-made colourants, high-value flavours like saffron and nootkatone, and functional ingredients that offer genuine consumer value. As regulators phase out banned ingredients, companies able to pivot quickly will lead. “Don’t just replicate—innovate.”

"The Next Bottleneck Is Sugar"

To make one kilo of product, you’ll need two kilos of sugar. And with every country scaling up fermentation, feedstock is becoming the next resource crunch. “Sugarcane isn’t enough. We’ll need to mine fruit waste, bagasse, and circular supply chains if we want to scale bio-manufacturing sustainably.”

Source: PFN Ai GenImage_Archives - Showing scientist in lab with 3DPrinter

James Ryall’s final call? Act. Advocate for strategy. Build pilot-scale hubs. Partner early with regulators. Tap into B2B networks. Apply for grants. Educate the public. “This is bigger than food. This is the next digital revolution. If Australia and New Zealand don't move, we don’t just miss out, we get left behind.”

And if that felt like a mic drop, it was. The 2025 CellAg Symposium didn’t just end with a forecast, it ended with a challenge. One that made it clear - this isn’t a science fair. It’s a race. And right now, ANZ isn’t even on the track.

Audio Sponsors Link

ENDS: