James Robinson Specialty Ingredients
Scaling up sustainable cosmetic ingredients
The challenge
James Robinson Specialty Ingredients (JRSI), based in Huddersfield near Rochdale, is developing a novel, naturally derived skincare ingredient with natural moisturising and anti-ageing potential using a proprietary fermentation process. After proving its potential at lab scale, JRSI needed to evaluate how the process could be scaled up for commercial production. However, two key risks stood in the way: fermentation performance is hard to predict at larger volumes, and cell harvesting must be rapid and controlled to preserve product quality.
To tackle these challenges, JRSI partnered with us through the new Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability (CEAMS) based in Rochdale, which is a collaboration between key partners to support SMEs to scale sustainable materials and processes. For JRSI, CEAMS provided access to specialist bioprocessing expertise and open-access facilities, helping reduce technical risk and accelerate progress.
By supporting companies like JRSI, CEAMS is helping anchor high-value, low-carbon manufacturing in Greater Manchester and strengthen the region’s leadership in industrial biotechnology.
How CPI helped
- Employed our validated scale-down fermentation model to simulate industrial conditions.
- Transferred JRSI’s lab-scale process and materials into CPI’s development lab for optimisation and scale-up.
- Assessed cell growth, yield, product output, and key process parameters including pH, temperature, and gas exchange.
- Applied our scale-down centrifugation model to evaluate cell harvesting under various conditions.
- Analysed throughput, clarification efficiency, cell viability, and product integrity using minimal biomass.
Achievements
- Successfully replicated and validated JRSI’s fermentation process under industrially relevant conditions, generating predictive data to inform future manufacturing.
- Identified optimal operational parameters and reduced technical uncertainty, supporting investment readiness and de-risking scale-up.
Impact
This collaboration exemplifies how place-based innovation support can help high-growth SMEs overcome technical barriers and attract investment. With operations in Huddersfield, just a short distance from Rochdale, JRSI was ideally placed to benefit from CEAMS – an initiative purpose-built to catalyse sustainable manufacturing growth in the North West.
Through CEAMS, JRSI gained access to our world-class bioprocessing capabilities without heavy capital investment or compromising intellectual property. CPI’s support helped JRSI validate a scalable, sustainable production process for a high-value cosmetic ingredient with access to a £200 billion global skincare market. The work de-risked commercial development and positioned the company for further investment and growth.
By enabling more sustainable product development closer to home, this project is strengthening the UK’s bioeconomy and supporting a greener, more resilient UK supply chain. The collaboration showcases regional innovation infrastructure like CEAMS can deliver tangible economic, environmental, and commercial benefits – from investment and job creation to the development of low-carbon manufacturing technologies.
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