Priment and Synonym collaborate on pilot facility to inspire biotechnology innovation

Primient and Synonym will create what Primient is calling an “Investigational Operations Optimization Pilot Facility” (iPROOF) on Primient’s corn processing campus, which already has limited fermentation capacity.

The two companies will upgrade the existing facility and increase fermentation capacity to more than 35,000 liters. The facility will “provide a full suite of end-to-end services” for biotech startups to bring biotech product concepts to market, the companies said in a press release. The facility is expected to open in early 2026.

“Decatur was the right choice for this partnership for a number of reasons. We have existing fermentation assets and space to expand, the expertise in place to support engineering and development, Decatur is located in the heart of corn country with access to high-quality feedstock, and we have the partnership and momentum of the iFAB Tech Hub consortium and the potential to position Central Illinois as the heart of biomanufacturing in the U.S.,” Eric Lee, director of business development, fermentation at Primient, told FoodNavigator-USA.

Synonym offers digital tools to support the commercialization of biotech products through its online tools Capacitor and Scaler, which will provide companies with insight into scaling biotech products in the plant. Scaler provides life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis for biotech companies, allowing them to estimate profit margins and capital needed to build a product, and Capacitor is a catalog of available manufacturing capacity.

“We understand the potential of biobased products and solutions and have the proven experience to support them at scale. Our partnership with Synonym will be critical for companies trying to break through the biobased barrier by providing a scalable, data-driven testing ground for growth with support. We are excited to be a part of this effort and look forward to the positive change we can make together,” said Jim Stutelberg, CEO of Primient.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to Develop Regions as Biotech Hub

The iPROOF project is just one of several projects that will receive funding from a Tech Hubs grant awarded to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s iFAB Tech Hub by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration.

This fall, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration will determine how much funding the facility, as well as other individual iFAB Tech Hub projects, will receive after site visits, Lee said. Then, “the remaining funds needed to fully launch the iPROOF project will be divided among the partners” at that time, he added.

iFAB Tech Hub received $51 million to expand fermentation capacity in the region, transforming corn feedstock into alternative proteins, food and beverage ingredients, and other bio-based materials.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Administration awarded $504 million to a dozen technology centers across the United States to support the development of biotechnology, artificial intelligence and other technology capabilities, the White House said in a statement.