GEA officially opened its New Food Application and Technology Center (ATC) in Janesville, Wisconsin, on July 17. The $20 million facility is the company’s second global Center of Excellence dedicated to alternative proteins and sustainable food solutions as alternatives to traditional foods such as meat, dairy, seafood and eggs.

GEA’s first ATC was launched in Hildesheim, Germany, in 2023. The new facility expands the GEA Janesville campus, which has served as a site for production, repair, logistics, and training since 2024.

The 100% renewable energy-powered facility bridges the gap between laboratory innovation and industrial-scale production. The facility combines core GEA process technologies that are essential to producing next-generation proteins at scale. 

Pilot-scale bioreactors for precision fermentation and cell cultivation simulate industrial conditions, allowing companies to validate and optimize production processes early. Thermal processing and aseptic filling ensure food safety and stability, while membrane filtration, spray drying, and centrifugation support downstream separation and formulation – critical steps to achieving product quality, texture, and cost-efficiency. Advanced lab capabilities complete the center’s offering, enabling microbiological, cell-based, and analytical testing under one roof.

“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,” said Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group. “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.