Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence Perspectives from Serbia and Israel 2025

1. Enzymit (Biomanufacturing/cell-free production) Enzymit integrates AI-driven enzyme design with cell-free production. Enzymit’s proprietary platform combines computational protein engineering, high- throughput screening and advanced biochemistry to develop novel enzymatic processes for specialty chemicals. By applying this multidisciplinary approach, Enzymit creates highly efficient, scalable and sustainable production routes for molecules in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and nutrition. Enzymit’s technology exemplifies the fusion of life sciences, computational modelling and industrial chemistry, enabling cost-effective biomanufacturing that overcomes traditional fermentation limitations and expands the possibilities of synthetic biology. Enzymit is part of the World Economic Forum’s Tech Pioneers Community and the C4IR Israel Innovators Community. 2. ImmunAI (Health/personalized medicine) ImmunAI aims to revolutionize drug discovery and development through an AI model of the immune system. It takes over 10 years to bring a drug to market, with a less than 10% success rate. ImmunAI’s products optimize decisions around drug development and clinical trials, improving statistics and patient outcomes. ImmunAI’s platform uses a multidisciplinary approach, integrating cutting-edge single-cell technologies, functional genomics, big data and ML to support therapeutic discovery and development. ImmuneAI partners with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academia and hospitals to optimize their preclinical and clinical decision-making. ImmuneAI is part of the Global Innovators Community of the World Economic Forum and the C4IR Israel Innovators Community. 3. Biotic (Environment/circular economy) Biotic develops biodegradable, bio-based polymers using marine-derived feedstocks like macroalgae. The technology integrates biotechnology, materials science and environmental engineering. By harnessing biological processes, Biotic creates sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics, addressing plastic pollution while ensuring performance and scalability. The solution is applicable across various industries, including packaging, agriculture and medical devices, illustrating how cross-disciplinary collaboration can lead to effective sustainability advancements in response to pressing environmental challenges. 4. BugEra (Agricultural technology/feed/circular economy) The black soldier fly efficiently decomposes organic waste, converting it into oil and protein. BugEra, a US/Israeli start-up, harnesses black soldier flies and biotechnology to develop innovative strains for sustainable solutions across various industries. The company focuses on the waste-to-biofuel, sustainable feed and biomanufacturing sectors, driving a circular economy model. BugEra advances renewable bio-based energy, eco-friendly feed alternatives and biomanufacturing processes. It promotes a sustainable, circular bioeconomy as part of its efforts to address significant global environmental challenges. 5. Starstone (Bioconstruction) Starstone is transforming construction by creating a sustainable, bio-based alternative to cement through biomineralization. As part of this process, bacteria grown on agricultural feedstock react with calcium and high-purity carbon dioxide (CO2) to form a calcium carbonate (CaCO3) binder, merging biology, chemistry and engineering. Traditional cement production contributes 8% of global CO2 emissions, and rising construction demands strain resources. Starstone’s technology reduces emissions and facilitates sustainable future infrastructure construction, addressing environmental challenges and ensuring sustainable development for generations. 6. Aleph Farms (Food technology/alternative protein/cultured meat) Aleph Farms is pioneering cellular agriculture – a new way to make a wide range of animal products directly from animal cell cultivation, with a fraction of the resources, no climate impact (net zero) and no reliance on local arable land or climate. Aleph uses AI to accelerate bioprocess optimization, lower costs and increase the scalability of animal cell production, opening new opportunities for the bioeconomy. Its first product is a cultivated beef cut meeting flexitarians’ need for healthy, sustainable and ethical proteins. Aleph Farm is part of the Global Innovators Community of the World Economic Forum and the C4IR Israel Innovators Community. Israel’s bioconvergence ecosystem has evolved into a dynamic hub of interdisciplinary innovation, reflecting a national strategic focus. Pathways to Bioeconomy and Bioconvergence 26