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Trend Study

HOW CULTURED MEAT BECOMES A GAME CHANGER

  

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Abstract

Raising questions beyond the technological aspects

As researchers, we have the task of introducing new solutions to the world. Our expertise and curiosity lead us to exciting innovation fields, which we explore with passion, courage and curiosity. One such field is cultured meat. As a leading science and technology company, we won’t produce cultured meat ourselves. Instead, we aim to accelerate this novel industry as technology enabler.

Asking bold questions
While working on technological solutions, we recognize that cultured meat and the idea of making it a regular part of our diets raise questions that extend beyond technical challenges: Is the world ready for a new source of food? How natural does our food need to be? How ethical is meat consumption, now and in the future? What are the implications for agriculture and farmers? Some of these questions seem bold. Some will ask us to leave our comfort zone. However, in innovation you have to embrace uncertainty and the unknown to succeed.

A scientist study as basis
The perspective of consumers is quite well covered by current research. But how about other stakeholder groups and opinion leaders? In a comprehensive trend study, we focused on a group that is naturally close to us: We surveyed scientists from a variety of disciplines about their views on cultured meat. We wanted to understand if scientists are more open towards new food options like cultured meat or if they are as skeptical as many end-consumers. Additionally, we talked with leading experts in our cultured meat network who shared a wide range of perspectives on current state and predictions for the future.

Stimulating discussions
This study is intended to stimulate discussion and reflection, with the goal of making progress on fundamental issues of sustainability – for human beings, animals and the planet. This is a topic that can change the world and make it better. It concerns all of us.

"Sustainable innovations require that scientific progress and responsible entrepreneurship go hand in hand. It takes awareness of ecological issues and a critical look at cultural and social requirements. And it takes the openness to not only pose uncomfortable questions, but also to follow through on the implications."

Lavanya Anandan

Head of Group Innovation Portfolio Management & Operations, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Meet our experts

To bring different perspectives to the key questions we are elaborating in this trend study, we interviewed leading experts in the field of cultured meat. Get a sneak peek here, and read the full interviews in the study.

Rose Ha Rose Ha

1/6

"The first protoype? It melted instantly!"

Rose Ha has been a chef for more than ten years, and an expert in plant-based cooking. Currently, she is collaborating with cultured meat startup Wildtype to explore and develop how cell-based salmon can be engineered, prepared and served as a taste-bud tickling experience.
Paul Shapiro Paul Shapiro

2/6

"People eat meat in spite of its production."

Paul Shapiro is the author of the international bestseller “Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World”, the CEO of The Better Meat Co., a four-time TEDx speaker, and the host of the Business for Good podcast.
Neil Stephens Neil Stephens

3/6

"It’s not enough to say, people will buy it."

Dr. Neil Stephens, Brunel University London, is a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow focused upon the sociology of biomedicine and Science and Technology Studies. He researches the social, societal and political implication of innovations like cultured meat.
Cor van der Weele Cor van der Weele

4/6

"Disrupting the farmer’s system means disrupting the farmer’s living."

Cor van der Weele is professor of Humanistic Philosophy at Wageningen University. As a trained biologist and a philosopher, she has been studying changing appreciations of meat and cultured meat. Currently, she is working on the questions if and how cultured meat might be an opportunity for farmers.
Quinault Child Quinault Child

5/6

"Why not invent some new rituals how we eat meat?"

Quinault Childs is a research director at the Food Futures Lab at the Institute of the Future (IFTF). His focus of work is to explore future directions in the way we produce, process, distribute and enjoy food. His research focuses on sustainability in the global food system.
Lavanaya Anandan Lavanaya Anandan

6/6

"Innovation always starts with the right questions. And someone to ask them."

Lavanya Anandan, Head of Group Innovation Portfolio Management and Operations and former Head of the Cultured Meat Innovation Field at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has been instrumental in defining our cultured meat strategy, building and guiding cross functional teams and driving relationships & partnerships with the alternative protein ecosystem.
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Is the world ready for cultured meat as a new source of food? Join us in this event with keynotes, panel discussion and Q&A to get insights on our recently published cultured meat trend study and reflect on the aspects of our food industry that can be reshaped as well as hurdles in technology, culture, society and regulations that cultured meat need to overcome.

Watch recording

Read more about our Innovation Field and get the latest news about cultured meat and our endeavors in helping to sustainably feed a growing population.

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To produce cultured meat at scale, cell culture media needs to be high-performing, suitable for animal cells, free of animal-derived materials and cost-efficient. We are tackling exactly this challenge. How?

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Partner with us

Are you interested in collaborating or partnering with us to jointly drive the scale-up of cultured meat? Get in touch!

Timothy Olsen

Head of Cultured Meat Commercial

Thomas Herget

Head of Silicon Valley and China Innovation Hubs