America Rethinks Fermentation as Capacity Slowly Climbs

US fermentation capacity grows through targeted upgrades and new federally backed programs

11 Dec 2025

The US is moving to expand its fermentation capacity as companies and public programmes respond to long-running shortages that have limited the scale-up of new materials and therapeutics. Industry reports have for years highlighted a lack of large microbial fermentation facilities, prompting steady but cautious investment rather than rapid expansion.

Recent steps point to a more coordinated approach. In Illinois, the Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Tech Hub, backed by a 2024 award from the Economic Development Administration, is preparing new pilot-scale facilities and workforce programmes. Public documents show a phased construction plan through the middle of the decade aimed at increasing early-stage production in the region.

Private suppliers are also adding capacity. Thermo Fisher Scientific said in 2023 that it was enlarging biologics manufacturing in St Louis with additional single-use bioreactors intended to speed the move from development to clinical supply. Lonza is pursuing a mix of domestic and international growth, including upgrades to its microbial operations in Visp and an expanded US footprint following its acquisition of a major site in Vacaville, California.

Across the country, developers are favouring renovation over new construction. State and federal innovation grants are helping convert dormant industrial sites into flexible biomanufacturing centres. The approach shortens build times and reuses existing infrastructure, offering near-term gains while the sector works on longer-term needs.

Together, these projects mark incremental progress. They do not yet address shortages at commercial scale, where demand for fermentation-based products continues to rise. But they indicate a shift toward a more resilient ecosystem that may better support the path from research to market.

The coming years will show whether these targeted investments can materially alter the country’s biomanufacturing landscape. For now, capacity is edging higher as the US seeks to match the pace of its innovators.