#Raw Materials

2026-07-09

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe expand partnership to enable industrial-scale production of silk proteins

AMSilk GmbH (“AMSilk”), a global leader leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to dedicated, large-scale production.

Under the agreement, AFE, part of the Japan-based Ajinomoto Group with extensive expertise in large-scale precision fermentation and biomanufacturing, will establish a dedicated line for producing AMSilk’s silk proteins at its biomanufacturing site in Nesle, France. The setup is based on 160 m³ fermentation reactor capacity, combined with customized downstream processing capabilities, and is designed exclusively for AMSilk’s production.

The Nesle site offers a strategically advantageous location that supports supply chain efficiency, reduced lead times and a competitive cost structure. Furthermore, the “Made in France” origin of the product is expected to enhance its appeal to leading customers. At the same time, the facility is integrated with locally sourced raw materials and renewable energy supply, supporting AMSilk’s commitment to sustainable and resource-efficient production.

The setup of the dedicated production line involves a multi-million joint investment in equipment, installation and facility upgrades, reflecting the scale and industrial ambition of the project. The investment will establish a purpose-built, certified manufacturing environment tailored to AMSilk’s proprietary biotechnological process.

At full performance, the production system is expected to reach commercial production volumes of industrial-grade silk protein with consistent quality, significantly strengthening AMSilk’s ability to meet growing demand across multiple markets, including textiles, automotive and consumer care applications.

The agreement further provides a framework for future expansion through the addition of precision fermentation capacity in the coming years. This strengthens AFE’s role as a key strategic manufacturing partner within AMSilk’s network of industrial collaborations and contributes to greater supply security and operational resilience.

Hiroshi Kaneko, President of Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), commented: “We are proud to expand our strategic collaboration with AMSilk, further demonstrating AFE’s capabilities as a trusted contract-manufacturing partner in industrial biotechnology. Leveraging our industrial infrastructure and our expertise in precision fermentation and downstream processing, we are well positioned to efficiently scale AMSilk’s silk proteins to commercial volumes and support their growth toward hundreds of tons per year and beyond.”

Christian Wichert, CEO of AMSilk, said: “As we move into the next phase of growth, scaling our production capabilities is a key priority. With its strong manufacturing expertise and strategic location in the heart of Europe, AFE is an ideal partner to support this growth. The addition of dedicated manufacturing capacity is an important step in translating our technology into sustainable commercial growth. It strengthens our ability to reliably serve leading brands and supports our ambition to establish biotech-produced silk materials across multiple high-performance applications.”

With this next phase of collaboration, AMSilk and AFE are jointly advancing the industrialization of new material classes, demonstrating how biotechnology and established manufacturing expertise can come together to enable scalable, sustainable alternatives across industries.

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