Industrial Biotechnology

Industrial Biotechnology is a fast-growing sector at the forefront of delivering sustainable industrial products and processes. It encompasses both established biological processes and innovative technologies for replace fossil-based resources with renewable biomass, greenhouse gas emissions, promote a circular economy by using waste as feedstock, and create new markets for agricultural products. Applications span industries such as biofuels, chemicals, polymers, and sustainable protein. Otto Simon plays a vital role in this sector as an engineering partner, helping our clients de-risk development, accelerate safe deployment, navigate funding rounds, and turn innovative concepts into operational reality.

How OSL Can Help Clients

OSL positions itself as a strategic engineering partner or Owner's Engineer, providing the technical expertise a client needs to commercialise their technology. Their services are designed to address the key challenges and questions a client will face:

• Engineering Partner / Owner's Engineer: We can act as our client's representative, providing independent technical oversight and ensuring the project is executed to the highest standards.
• Developing and Integrating Core Technology: Helping clients take their core technology and design it into a functional, scalable plant, from initial concept through to commercial operation. This includes helping with pilot and demonstration plants.
• From TRL 5 to TRL 7: In this critical scale-up phase, helping clients validate their technology in a real-world environment is critical for the technology’s commercial success.
• Developing and Securing Intellectual Property (IP): While Otto Simon do not hold any Patents directly, we have historically supported clients in defining the technical basis of their IP to successfully secure any IP claim.
• Technical Due-Diligence: OSL provides detailed technical reviews for investors, helping to validate the technology, project costs, and risks, which is crucial for securing Series A funding.
• Process Safety: This is a core part of OSL's offering. We conduct hazard studies and safety assessments to ensure the plant can be built and operated safely, which is a non-negotiable for both clients and regulators.

How OSL Delivers on Its Promises

OSL helps clients answer the fundamental questions about their project's viability through a structured, phased approach. The deliverables are designed to provide the client and potential investors with a clear, data-driven understanding of the project's feasibility and costs.

• What will the plant look like (Scope): OSL's engineers develop a detailed scope of work, including conceptual and feasibility studies, to define the plant's design and operational requirements.
• Will it work (Opex etc.): They create Opex (operational expenditure) estimates by analysing raw material costs, energy consumption, and labour, proving the project's operational viability.
• How much will it cost to build (Capex): OSL provides Capex (capital expenditure) estimates, from order-of-magnitude costs in early phases to more detailed figures later on, giving clients a clear financial roadmap.
• How long will it take to build (Programme): They develop a project schedule, or Programme, outlining key milestones and timelines for design, procurement, and construction.
• What are the chances of it blowing up: OSL conducts rigorous Process Safety studies, including Hazard Identification (HAZID) and Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) reviews, to identify and mitigate risks.
• Will the authorities let us build it (regulatory compliance): OSL provides expertise in regulatory compliance, ensuring the project meets all necessary legal and planning requirements.

The ultimate goal of these efforts is to produce a series of deliverables—Opex/Capex Estimates, Concept, Feasibility, and Due Diligence Reports—that lead to the successful EPCm (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management) of pilot and demonstration plants. This comprehensive approach helps clients confidently transition from an innovative idea to a fully realized, commercial asset.