Key Takeaways
- Protein Industries Canada has committed $607,000 toward a $1.4 million project with Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs to develop an AI-enabled fermentation platform for the Canadian food manufacturing sector.
- The platform will use existing industrial sensors and machine learning to continuously infer fermentation conditions, food safety indicators, energy performance, and process health in real time.
- The technology aims to reduce energy consumption, improve product consistency, strengthen food safety controls, and accelerate the conversion of agricultural sidestreams into high-value food ingredients.
- Protein Industries Canada's AI investment stream is funded through the Government of Canada's Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS).
- The project is part of Protein Industries Canada's broader Road to $25 Billion initiative, which targets growing Canada's plant-based food, feed, and ingredient sector into a $25 billion industry.
Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs to Build AI-Driven Fermentation Platform
Protein Industries Canada has announced a new project with Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs to develop an AI-enabled fermentation platform for the Canadian food manufacturing sector. The initiative, backed by a total investment of $1.4 million — with Protein Industries Canada contributing $607,000 and the partners committing the remainder — will integrate artificial intelligence into Crush Dynamics' commercial fermentation infrastructure to enable real-time process monitoring, prediction, and optimisation.
The project uses existing industrial sensors combined with advanced machine learning to continuously infer fermentation conditions, food safety indicators, energy performance, and overall process health without requiring new hardware installations. The goal is to transform conventional fermentation from a manually managed operation into an intelligent, autonomous system.
What the Platform Is Designed to Deliver
By combining Crush Dynamics' fermentation expertise with Atomic47 Labs' artificial intelligence, digital twin, and industrial control capabilities, the platform targets several operational improvements: reduced energy consumption, improved product consistency, stronger food safety controls, and higher production efficiency. Beyond process optimisation, the technology is expected to accelerate the conversion of agricultural sidestreams into high-value food ingredients, creating new revenue opportunities from inputs that are currently underutilised.
“This project is about making more from what we already grow. We're combining our fermentation technology with advanced AI to help transform agricultural sidestreams into high-value ingredients more efficiently and consistently. It's an important step toward reducing waste, improving sustainability and strengthening Canada's food manufacturing sector,” said Kirk Moir, CEO of Crush Dynamics.
“This project is about moving fermentation from reactive decision-making to intelligent, real-time control. By combining Crush Dynamics' fermentation expertise with Atomic47's AI, digital twin and industrial control capabilities, we are building a platform that can improve consistency, reduce waste, and help Canadian food processors scale more sustainable ingredient production,” said Karen Olsson, CEO of Atomic47 Labs.
Canada's Broader Push to Add Value to Agricultural Output
The project sits within Protein Industries Canada's AI investment stream, which is funded through the Government of Canada's Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy. It also forms part of the organisation's Road to $25 Billion initiative — a national ambition to grow Canada's plant-based food, feed, and ingredient sector into a $25 billion industry and establish the country as a leading global provider of plant-based ingredients.
“Canada's ability to make more from what we grow relies on our food processors having the tools they need to succeed, and AI systems are an important part of that. With the development of a new AI system that helps improve energy usage while reducing waste, Canada's food processors can make great strides in not just strengthening our domestic food supply chain, but also in improving food options for families here and around the world,” said Tyler Groeneveld, CEO of Protein Industries Canada.
