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CMI · Netherlands
NATIONAL INNOVATION INITIATIVE

Cellular Manufacturing Initiative

Developing a World-Class Manufacturing Excellence Ecosystem, where living cells become the foundation for healthcare, food, ecology, and the materials of tomorrow.
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3

Application Domains

4

Arenas with Extension

5+

Dutch Ministers

6

Spearhead Products

Three Domains, One Shared Logic

One Manufacturing Logic,
Three Application Arenas

Cellular manufacturing addresses major challenges in healthcare, food, and ecological resilience; through a shared pipeline, shared infrastructure, and shared knowledge.

Advanced therapies and medical devices

Repairs cells, tissues, and organs for personalized therapies

Cellular Agriculture

Produces animal products without livestock, lowering CO₂, land use, and resource intensity.

Regenerative Ecology

Uses living systems to rebuild ecosystems and scale environmental resilience.
Shared Infrastructure

The Cellular Manufacturing Pipeline

All three domains share common bottlenecks — and advance through shared knowledge, facilities, and data. One pipeline, three destinations.

Shared Enabling Inputs

  • Cell banks
  • Media and growth factors
  • Biomaterials and Biofabrication
  • Bioreactors
  • Bioprinting
  • Automation
  • AI process control
  • Non-destructive testing

Shared Cellular Manifacture Pipeline

Cell Sourcing

Cell Isolation

Proliferation

Differentiation

Assembly

Quality Control

Application Output

Why the Netherlands? Why now?

A National Platform Ready to Lead

The Netherlands holds a unique position: a mature Advanced Therapy, Medical Devices and Cellular Agriculture ecosystem, world-class talent, and the infrastructure to scale globally.

Netherlands Base

A strong AT&MD + CA ecosystem is already in place, though separated.

AT&MD + CA Launch Platform

Shared talent, infrastructure, policy, and scale-up pathways.

Regenerative Ecology — A New Frontier

A third frontier for restoration and bio-based production.
Program Ambitions

Three Goals, Global Impact

1

Scale & Cost

Competitive cellular manufacturing across AT&MD, CA, and RE.
2

Affordable Impact

Make regenerative solutions scalable and accessible.
3

Global Leadership

Position the Netherlands as a leader in cellular manufacturing.
Production Platforms — shared infrastructure

Shared Production Platforms

These integrated platforms streamline cell growth, tissue assembly, and automated QC. They provide shared, scalable infrastructure for consistent Biofabrication.
This accelerates R&D while ensuring quality and compliance.

Cell Growth

Optimize growth conditions across cell types.

Structure & Matrix

Assemble cells into tissues, structures, and constructs.

Automation & QC

Improve automation, monitoring, and testing.
Spearhead Products

Product Innovation Portfolio

Six spearhead products anchor the initiative — spanning health, food, materials, and ecology. Each represents a strategic frontier for the Netherlands.
Human Red Blood Cells
Structured Foods
Cell-based Nutrition
Leather & Living Materials
Coral Reef Restoration
Adaptive Medical Devices
Strategic Extension

From Health to Agential Materials: New Application Domains

The initiative preserves its core production platforms while extending product innovation into two new frontier domains — addressing biodiversity loss, climate resilience, and the future of materials science.

Ecological Cell Manufacturing

Coral and ecosystem-oriented biofabrication combining cells, microbes, and mineralizing materials for reef restoration and marine habitat regeneration.

Engineered Living Materials

Materials in which living cells form, assemble, or regulate performance — extending toward self-healing, adaptive, and regenerative systems for biomedical, industrial, and environmental use.
Biomineralization
Marine-Compatible Culture Systems
Restoration-Focused Biofabrication
Self-Healing Materials
Adaptive Biofabrication
Agential Materials
STRATEGIC RELEVANCE · NETHERLANDS

A Cross-Ministerial Opportunity for the Netherlands

One initiative, four application arenas: Health · Food · Ecology · Living Materials

Health

  • Advanced therapies and medical devices
  • Resilient healthcare innovation capacity
  • Biofabrication for medical products

Food

  • Future-proof food systems
  • Sustainable protein and food innovation
  • New agri-food value chains

Ecology

  • Nature restoration and marine resilience
  • Biomaterials for environmental regeneration
  • Climate adaptation and biodiversity

Living Materials

  • Advanced materials platform for industry
  • Circular and regenerative manufacturing
  • High-value bio-based innovation

Relevant Across Dutch Ministries

This initiative aligns with multiple Dutch public priorities, creating a platform for cross-ministerial innovation spanning health, food, ecology, industrial policy, and knowledge development.
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Get Involved

Be Part of the
Next Frontiers

Whether you're a researcher, investor, industry partner, or policymaker — the Cellular Manufacturing Initiative is building the ecosystem that will define the next era of bio-based production.
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Get in Touch

Let's Build the Future Together

Whether you represent a research institution, industrial partner, investor, or government body — we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to explore how you can become part of the Cellular Manufacturing Initiative.
Location
Maastricht, The Nehterlands
Email
info@cellmanufacturing.eu
Coordination
Maastricht University and Hummingbird Biomedical

Send us a message

Privacy Policy*
Your information is kept confidential and never shared with third parties.
Cellular Manufacturing Initiative
A National Innovation Initiative · Netherlands
Privacy Policy Cookies
Health · Food · Ecology · Living Materials

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 May 2026

Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you visit cellmanufacturing.eu (the “Website”). It is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is:

MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine
Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht
Room C3.577, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht
The Netherlands
Email: info@cellmanufacturing.eu

2. Personal data we collect and why

We only collect the personal data you voluntarily provide, and we use privacy-friendly analytics that do not track you.

a) Contact form

When you submit a query through our contact form, we collect:

  • Your name

  • Your email address

  • Any other information you choose to include in your message

We use this data exclusively to respond to your inquiry. We will not use it for marketing, profiling, or any other purpose without your explicit consent.

b) Website analytics

We do not use Google Analytics or similar tracking platforms. Instead, we use Independent Analytics, a cookieless, privacy-focused tool.

  • It does not set cookies on your device.

  • It does not collect any personal data (no IP addresses are stored; IP addresses are truncated and immediately anonymised).

  • It only generates aggregated, non-personal statistics (e.g., page views) that help us understand how the site is used.

Because no personal data is processed, Independent Analytics does not require consent under the GDPR.

c) Essential technical cookies

The Website uses only strictly necessary session cookies (e.g., for form security). These cookies are essential for the site to function and are not used for tracking. No consent is required for such cookies, but they are deleted when you close your browser.

3. Legal basis for processing

  • Contact form: The processing is based on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). By sending us a message, you agree that we process the data you provide for the purpose of handling your request.

  • Analytics: No personal data is processed; aggregated data is processed under our legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) to improve our Website.

4. How long we keep your data

  • Contact form messages: We keep your message and contact details for 12 months after our last communication. If the inquiry leads to a contractual or research relationship, the data may be retained as long as legally required.

  • Analytics: Aggregated, anonymised statistics are retained indefinitely. No individual data can be re-identified.

5. Your rights

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:

  • Access your personal data and obtain a copy.

  • Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.

  • Erase your data (“right to be forgotten”).

  • Restrict processing under certain conditions.

  • Data portability (receive your data in a structured, commonly used format).

  • Object to processing based on legitimate interest.

  • Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@cellmanufacturing.eu. We will respond within one month.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. The relevant authority for the Netherlands is:

Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens
PO Box 93374, 2509 AJ Den Haag
Website: https://autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl

6. Who we share your data with

We do not sell, trade, or transfer your personal data to third parties. Data is processed exclusively by authorised personnel at the MERLN Institute. No third-party services (except the privacy-friendly analytics tool, which does not receive personal data) have access to your information.

7. International data transfers

All personal data is stored and processed within the European Economic Area (EEA). No data is transferred outside the EEA.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page. We encourage you to review it periodically.

9. Contact

For any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data:

MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine
Email: info@cellmanufacturing.eu
Universiteitssingel 40, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands

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