By Brazil Stock Guide – JBS SA (JBSS3) opened a biotechnology research center in Florianópolis, Brazil, on Wednesday (1), marking a strategic push into high-value functional proteins, often referred to as “superproteins,” as global demand for advanced nutrition products grows.
The $37 million investment establishes JBS Biotech as a key pillar in the company’s broader expansion into biotechnology, complementing its 2021 acquisition of Spain-based Biotech Foods.
Located at Sapiens Park, the facility integrates more than 20 laboratories with supercomputing infrastructure, a biobank and artificial intelligence tools designed to engineer proteins with targeted nutritional and functional properties.
“We are entering a new frontier, where it is possible to understand protein at the molecular level and develop solutions with defined nutritional and functional characteristics,” said Fernanda Berti, CEO of JBS Biotech.
Chief Executive Officer Gilberto Tomazoni said the initiative strengthens the company’s ability to deliver higher-value products. “This is about applying biotechnology to the production chain to create and add value to food production,” he said.
The center brings together research in biotechnology, physiology, pharmacology and data science to develop proteins tailored for specific amino acid profiles, digestibility and functionality. Potential applications include food products, dietary supplements, functional ingredients and animal health solutions.
The platform is designed to shorten the time between research and commercialization by enabling both laboratory experimentation and scaled production testing within a single structure. Currently, new product development cycles can take between three and five years due to regulatory requirements.
Another focus is the use of byproducts from the production chain. Extraction and bioconversion technologies aim to transform waste into higher-value ingredients such as functional collagen, enzymes and bioactive compounds, reinforcing circular economy practices.
The launch comes amid rising global demand for protein and increasing scrutiny over nutritional quality. “This initiative is driven by our belief that science, technology and innovation are essential to ensuring food security in a rapidly changing world,” Tomazoni said.
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