CSG Industrie Award at Česká hlava Goes to Biotech Startup Bene Meat Technologies.

The laureate of the Industrie Award, granted as part of the Česká hlava awards and supported by the industrial-technological group CSG, is the biotech startup Bene Meat Technologies. This company is the first in the world to officially register its innovative product, “Cultivated cells of mammalian origin,” as a feed ingredient.

As a result, both the company and the Czech Republic have joined the global leaders in cultivated meat technology. The Industrie Award is given annually for the most significant innovation created in the Czech Republic.

Cultivated meat consists of real animal cells grown not in a living animal but in a so-called cultivator. In this controlled environment, cells grow under precisely defined conditions. The process is akin to growing a sourdough starter at home in the kitchen. The resulting product is harvested from the cultivator, inspected, and sent to pet food manufacturers.

“In 2025, we plan to scale up production to 500 kilograms of cultivated meat per day, making our company the largest producer of this ingredient worldwide. We expect to generate revenues in the lower tens of millions of Czech crowns,” says Roman Kříž, CEO of Bene Meat Technologies.

He further highlights the benefits: “Cultivated meat allows for the production of real animal protein without the need to slaughter animals. Moreover, it has a lower environmental impact compared to most traditional livestock farming.”

Cultivated meat production is a modern and rapidly developing field of biotechnology. Bene Meat Technologies entered the field in 2020 and collaborates on research with several top Czech universities. Thanks to its size, workforce, and overall know-how, the company is among the global leaders in the industry.

For context: only two companies from the USA, one from Australia, and one from Israel currently have the authorization to commercially sell cultivated meat. As for selling cultivated cells as feed ingredients for pets, the only companies authorized worldwide are the Czech Bene Meat Technologies and the UK-based Meatly.

“I congratulate the Industrie Award laureate on such a remarkable technological innovation. It’s wonderful to see unique ideas emerging in the Czech Republic, and we are proud that Czechoslovak Group can play a role in this process. Our partnership with Česká hlava represents another way for us to actively engage with the marketplace of ideas and results. It complements our direct collaboration with research institutions, which is our primary focus,” says Bohuslav Přikryl, Vice President of CSG Aerospace for Research, Development, and Innovation.

Václav Marek, Director of Česká hlava Project, adds: “Together with our colleagues at CSG, we aim to take the Industrie Award partnership even further. The goal is to establish the closest possible connection between science and industry. If companies collaborate with science from the very beginning, it could be the most efficient way to utilize know-how, innovate, and enhance competitiveness. We believe that with stronger links between science and practice, fewer projects will end up unfinished or shelved.”