GEA officially unveiled its new Food Application and Technology Centre (ATC) in Janesville, Wisconsin. This USD 20 million investment marks the company’s second global center dedicated to sustainable food technologies – including precision fermentation, cell cultivation, and plant-based protein processing. The Janesville facility complements GEA’s first ATC, launched in Hildesheim, Germany, in 2023. The new center expands GEA’s existing Janesville campus, which since 2024 has served as a site for production, repair, logistics, and training.
Focus on industrial-scale readiness for alternative proteins
The ATC is intended to accelerate the transition from laboratory-scale research to full-scale industrial food production. It integrates GEA’s core process technologies essential to producing next-generation proteins at scale. The center features pilot-scale bioreactors for precision fermentation and cell cultivation. This should enable customers to simulate and optimize industrial conditions early in the development process.
In addition, the facility includes thermal processing (e.g., UHT), aseptic filling, spray drying, membrane filtration, and centrifugation — all key steps for ensuring product quality, texture, and cost-efficiency. A fully equipped laboratory should support microbial, cellular, and analytical testing.
“The food industry is at a crossroads. To feed future generations sustainably, we must turn vision into scalable reality. Our new center in Janesville is a key milestone on our shared journey – both for our customers and for us as a company. With this investment, we are helping our customers scale up the production of novel foods such as precision-fermented egg white and cultivated seafood. At the same time, we are strengthening our North American footprint, where our 1,600 employees at 16 locations support manufacturing, sales, service, training, and testing”, explained Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group.
Supporting regional innovation and employment
The Janesville ATC is powered entirely by renewable energy and contributes to regional job creation. During construction, the project supported up to 500 contractor jobs. It will also generate at least eight new, highly skilled positions in engineering and applied sciences. The project also complements GEA’s ongoing operations at its existing Separation & Flow Technologies facility, which employs 74 people.
“This facility reflects how Janesville’s rich agricultural and industrial heritage can intersect with cutting-edge innovation. It not only honors our community’s roots, but also creates new opportunities for partnerships, workforce development, and sustainable growth. This project is a model for what’s possible—not just for Janesville, but for the entire Midwest and beyond”, said Jimsi Kuborn, Economic Development Director for the City of Janesville.
Global perspectives on sustainable food systems
“GEA technology hubs are the crucible where visionary science becomes transformative industry, uniting biological innovation with cutting edge engineering to move towards a more sustainable future”, so Prof. Yaakov Nahmias, Director of the Grass Center for Bioengineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“GEA’s Janesville center shows how innovation and agriculture can work hand in hand to create good jobs, strengthen food security, and help address climate challenges. It contributes to positioning the American Midwest at the forefront of food innovation”, said Jessica Almy, Interim CEO of the Good Food Institute in North America.
A platform for collaboration
The U.S. currently leads in alternative protein investments, and the Janesville center is positioned to support this momentum. It is intended to serve as a collaborative platform for startups, established food companies, investors, and academic institutions seeking to bring novel food products to market sustainably and efficiently.
