Alternative Proteins Magazine NEWS October 2025 17 Entocycle, a specialist manufacturer of insect farming technology which uses insects to turn food waste into sustainable protein for animal feed, worked alongside Siemens to create the UK’s first digitalised insect farm showroom under four Victorian railway arches in the heart of London. The company, which designs and builds insect farms that convert food waste into low-carbon protein, strategically picked its central London location to attract talent and investors to its concept. Using Siemens' digital twin technology, Entocycle explains it was able to virtually model the facility before physical construction began, optimising the challenging arch-shaped space and preventing costly mistakes during the build phase. A full digital transformation was then undertaken, and the facility now leverages Siemens AI and automation to help scale operations while driving efficiencies. The advanced site features robotic arms, climate-controlled chambers and machine vision technology that counts and monitors 3,000 microscopic larvae a second with 96-100% accuracy. Implementing digitalisation has reportedly reduced insect larval growth time and improved survival rates by 30%, demonstrating how the emerging insect bioconversion process can be accelerated and implemented at industrial scale in the future. According to the announcement, after a year of successful operation at the site, the insect farm concept has proven how it can help address two critical sustainability challenges: Tackling the staggering 10.7 million tonnes of annual UK food waste (30% of which stems from supply chain inefficiencies) while simultaneously reducing dependency on the 3.3 million tonnes of imported soybean products that currently flood into the country each year for animal feed. Read more>> The EU’s ambitious policies—such as the Common Fisheries Policy, the Vision for Aquaculture, EU Bioeconomy Strategy or the Oceans Pact—are designed to boost innovation, resilience, competitiveness and sustainability. With global demand for farmed fish expected to reach nearly two-thirds of total fish consumption by 2032, securing sustainable and scalable feed ingredients is more critical than ever, the Secretary-General of International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) Steven Barbosa stated. Leading market reports, including the World Bank’s “Harnessing the Waters” (2025), highlight that investment in alternative proteins—such as algae and insect meal—is set to grow exponentially, driven by the need to meet rising demand and reduce reliance on overfished wild stocks. The 2025 Global Aqua Feed Market Outlook emphasises that innovations in sustainable feeds, including insect-based ingredients, will be vital to supporting aquaculture industry growth while minimising environmental impact, Barbosa highlights. Furthermore, the 2025 Market Report Feed Proteins stresses that with the increased focus on sustainability and efficiency — circular economy models, like insect-based feeds, are becoming an increased priority to livestock producers. Read more>> Siemens and Entocycle open insect farming technology hub IPIFF Secretary General: Insect meal is key to sustainable EU aquaculture Photo: Siemens Photo: IPIFF
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