11-11-2025
One year later: Insights from Scale-up frontrunners | Gianmarco Marino & Fer Klinckhamers (Plant One Delft B.V.)
It has been one year since Planet B.io hosted the Let’s Talk Bio Scale-up event! Back then, we brought together five key scale-up frontrunners to share their insights on going from grams to tonnes and navigating the 'valley of death.'
Now, one year later, we reconnect with each of these frontrunners to learn how their organizations have progressed in the past year.
This week, we speak with Gianmarco Marino and Fer Klinckhamers (Plant One Delft B.V.), who share last year’s improvements and about their hidden treasure!
It has been a year since the plans from Plant One were presented, just a few months after Plant One Delft became the new owner of the pilot plant on the Biotech Campus Delft. You must have had a busy year. Can you tell us about your last year?
"We have had a busy year, for sure. During the scale-up event we have presented ourselves and our way of working and that we promote a collaborative approach; inviting clients to work with us side by side so that they can also learn from the ongoing experiments. Unlike the traditional model, where a client drops off a project and waits for results weeks later, we like to involve them real time.
Furthermore our offering has expanded: clients have the opportunity to set up their own dedicated mini demo plant, fully facilitated with utilities and operators if needed. We’ve cleared the pre-treatment area and sold older equipment, creating a 300 m² space ready for demo plants. This broader offering lets clients establish themselves on site while still accessing all the expertise and equipment that Plant One Delft provides.
And here’s a little treasure-hunting story: while preparing the plant, we found completely brand-new, never-used equipment tucked away in a shelter. It felt like finding hidden treasure in our own backyard!"
And I heard good news: congratulations with your first clients!
"Thank you! Indeed, just before the summer we welcomed GAFT as a first client in our pilot facility at the Biotech Campus Delft! They’re developing an innovative biotechnological process for sustainable aviation fuel, and we’re now working together to scale up their fermentation and downstream processes. The first campaigns, including 70-liter fermentations followed by biomass centrifugation, have already been successfully completed.
In addition, we’ve also had clients working in the bioplastics and biomaterials field, making use of our facilities. Companies of all sizes are approaching us. Whether they need ATEX-certified areas, want to make use of our food hall, or just need empty space to install their equipment, we can accommodate them. Currently, we have several exciting projects underway, both in ‘food’ and ‘biomaterials’. We cannot disclose the clients names yet, so stay tuned to our LinkedIn for updates!"
Speaking of equipment, I understand that you have added another offering: rental? Can you explain the possibilities?
"We now offer external rental options for downstream processing equipment. For example, if a client needs a centrifuge, a filter, or a similar device, we can rent it to them and we can provide expertise alongside it. In one case, one of our operators went to a client to commission one of our centrifuges at their plant, making sure the client was able to use the equipment themselves.
The rental model is very flexible and can be tailor-made to meet the client’s needs. If a client needs expertise they can work alongside our DSP expert, who has decades of experience with DSP equipment, ensuring that rented equipment works reliably for each process."
“We promote a collaborative approach; inviting clients to work with us side by side so that they can also learn from the ongoing experiments.”
How do you want people to discover Plant One Delft and understand what you offer?
"Over the past year, we realized our online presence didn’t fully reflect who we are and what we offer. Our LinkedIn profile and the website were outdated, still showing legacy references, and didn’t clearly communicate the full scope of our facilities, collaborative approach, and flexible services. Nevertheless, many interested companies were able to find us!
Still, we want to be professional in our communications as well. That’s why we’re working with a marketing partner to redesign our LinkedIn pages and website, making them more visually engaging, professional, and easy to navigate. This includes highlighting everything from pilot facilities and rental equipment to collaborative projects and our in-house expertise.
So please keep an eye on our LinkedIn posts where we will showcase ongoing projects and upcoming campaigns. The goal is to make it easy for clients to discover us, understand how we can support them, and see that PlantOne Delft is open, flexible, and a trusted partner for scaling innovative processes."
In a year from now, what milestones or successes would you share with me when we check in again?
"Looking ahead, we aim to complete three major projects and continue growing the team, particularly training young professionals. We’ve laid a solid foundation, worked closely with our first clients, and taken steps to ensure that Plant One Delft is not just operational but fully visible and professional in the market. The next year looks very promising, and we can’t wait to share more milestones as they happen."
For more information about Plant One Delft B.V., please visit their website.