Scale-Up in Action: Behind-the-Scenes at Bayer

Last week, the CLIB team had the opportunity to visit Bayer’s site in Bergkamen as part of the Steps2Scale project. Beyond the project work on-site, we also took the chance to explore the impressive industrial infrastructure behind large-scale bioprocessing.

Scale truly becomes tangible when a 50 m³ vessel is considered an intermediate fermenter. And that is just the beginning: the largest fermenters on-site reach volumes of up to 200 m³. Even more remarkable is the operational efficiency behind it all, with the entire facility being run with a remarkable degree of automation.

Seeing these dimensions firsthand is a valuable reminder of what it takes to bridge the gap from laboratory innovation to industrial implementation. Thanks to Bayer for the insights and hospitality as we continue advancing scalable biotechnology solutions through Steps2Scale.