Active deals across all sector opportunities, tracked through the investment pathway from definition to transaction close.
Back to homeActive deals across all sector opportunities, tracked through the investment pathway from definition to transaction close.
Back to homeInvestment
$300M
$300m proposed facility; $528k QLD Government business case contribution; $1m+ total development funding
Economic impact
$29B
Part of forecast $700bn global biomanufacturing market by 2040. Australia's potential: $29bn annually and 50,000 new jobs by 2040. Queensland sector could contribute $4bn+ to gross state product by 2035.
Jobs
50,000
Biomanufacturing · Mackay · Updated 6 Feb 2026, 12:00 am
The proposed $300 million Future Foods BioHub facility in the Mackay State Development Area would provide industry-led anchor infrastructure for commercial-scale biomanufacturing of innovative food products. The Queensland Government contributed $528,000 towards the business case, with over $1 million in total funding for development.
Cauldron Ferm, a key partner, plans to build the Asia-Pacific region's largest network of precision fermentation facilities. A key factor in choosing Mackay was the strong mining and METS capability — particularly fabrication of fermentation vessels, maintenance, quality control, industrial cleaning, and automation. The company is currently mapping skills and service requirements for future operations.
Next step
Establish certification pathways and process capability building.
Key stakeholders
Cauldron Ferm, Queensland Government, QUT, Food and Beverage Accelerator, Greater Whitsunday Biofutures Leaders Group