Scaling Sustainable Lab-Grown Leather with 3D Bio-Tissues

Ricardo Gouveia, Chief Scientific Officer, 3D Bio-Tissues

Ricardo Gouveia is Chief Scientific Officer of 3D Biotissues and serves in a scientific advisory capacity to BSF Enterprise. As a research scientist and co-founder of 3D Bio-Tissues, he has played a central role in translating breakthrough science from spin-out innovation into commercial application.

At the heart of 3D Bio-Tissues is a powerful capability: recreating natural biological materials using synthetic biology and industrial-grade processes. The company’s platforms are designed to produce materials with a composition and structure as close as possible to those found in nature - suitable for applications spanning regenerative medicine, food, cosmetics and advanced industrial uses.

Unlike traditional manufacturing, where strict standard operating procedures ensure consistency, 3D Bio-Tissues leverages the inherent programming within cells themselves. When correctly instructed and carefully constrained through precise processes, cells can reliably follow their genomic “programme” to deliver highly consistent biological materials at scale.

The company’s immediate focus is scaling production of its sustainable, ethical lab-grown leather. Moving from laboratory output to industrial volumes requires increasing efficiency, reducing production costs and expanding capacity. Over the next decade, 3D Bio-Tissues aims to scale from laboratory production to hundreds of thousands of square metres of leather annually.

This growth will be driven by an ambitious expansion strategy, beginning with the development of pilot plant capacity to unlock further cost efficiencies. Achieving these milestones is expected to support long-term shareholder value through scalable, commercially viable production.