
A Dutch food technology company, headquartered in the Netherlands creating production methods for cultured meat
Why change how we make meat?
By 2050, global meat demand will be 70% higher. Our planet doesn't have enough land and water to produce this much meat using animals. Trying to do so would devastate the environment
Mosa meat is committed to creating a sustainable way to make real meat
The Objective
To research and discover how Mosa Meat is a disruptive and social innovation
The Development Process
Design Solution
Generative Research
Create world’s first slaughter-free meat
The first government-funded research on cultured meat took place in the Netherlands; Dutch government agency SenterNovem funded cultured meat research from 2005 to 2009. The research program was initiated by Willem Van Eelen, an 86-year-old entrepreneur who had been fascinated by cultured meat for decades and had filed a patent on the idea in 1997
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In 2013, Mark Post unveiled the world’s first hamburger made by growing cow cells, rather than slaughtering an animal
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Now they're developing the first commercial products. Mission is to produce real meat for the world’s growing population that is healthier, better for the environment, and kind to animals

Mark Post, co-founder and CSO
Mark Post, co-founder and CSO
Engagement and Findings
By 2050, worldwide meat consumption is predicted to increase by 73%, according to a 2011 United Nations report, so the potential market for clean meat is huge. But there’s one question looming over the industry: Will we want to eat it? - Fastcompany
Testing the Meat
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2013, critics and an invited audience of journalists tasted the paties and felt it to be “rather like” meat
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Austrian food researcher Ms Ruetzler said: "I was expecting the texture to be softer. There is some intense taste; it's close to meat, but it's not that juicy. The consistency is perfect, but I miss salt and pepper”
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Food writer Mr Schonwald said: "The mouthfeel is like meat. I miss the fat, there's a leanness to it, but the general bite feels like a hamburger
Gauging Interest
Hypothetical research to gauge the demand for clean meat highlighted some challenges:
Research found that some people are unwilling to eat clean meat because they perceive it
to be unnatural
But, there are plenty of unnatural substances in our diets. Bread, cheese, yoghurt, and wine, for example, are derived from natural ingredients that
are processed
One scientific paper argues that we’re least likely to perceive something as natural when a gene from another species is added to it (versus chemicals).

However, lab-grown meat may actually be healthier than “natural” meat because it could reduce the risk of contracting of meat-born illness
Finding food unnatural is part of our disgust reaction, which is a universal human emotion that we develop as a defence mechanism to avoid infections and disease
Implementation Strategy
“People are eating meat today with their eyes squeezed shut. Nobody wants to even think about slaughterhouses when we have the two products side by side, I don’t think it is going to be hard to persuade people to switch.”
- Bruce Friedrich, co-founder of the Good Food Institute
Will people eat it?
Preliminary research shows that clean meat has an image problem, 43% of people would prefer to eat animal-based meat rather than clean meat
One popular comparison that’s been made is Sushi. 50 years ago, Japanese cuisine was unpopular in the United States, with sushi going from ‘gross’ to a favourite dish
Cutting Costs & Actualization
Mosa Meats just raised 7.5 million euros to continue its pursuit of mass-producing sustainable meat by the year 2021. They are aiming to get the first lab-grown meat product to market by 2021 at $10 per patty
Social Impact
1. ABLE TO FEED GROWING POPULATION
Cultured meat production will use up to 99% less land, and 96% less water
By 2050, meat demand will need to be 70% higher than today’s level in order to feed a population of 9 billion. Majority of land used in farmland is used for livestock and contributes greatly to growing water scarcity. We simply don’t have enough land or water to grow the livestock industry at this rate
2. BETTER FOR OUR PLANET
Cultured meat produces 96% fewer greenhouse gases, requires no chemicals
Traditional livestock requires a massive amount of land, leading to deforestation - causing decreased biodiversity. Eventually more pollution from agricultural runoff of pesticides and chemicals
Environmental Impact
Conventionally Farm Beef
Lab-Grown Beef
55%
Energy Use
Greenhouse Emission Gas
Land Use
4%
1%
An independent study found that lab-grown beef uses 45% less energy than the average global representative figure for farming cattle
Framework
Why, What, How
1. Why the project is important
LAB CREATED MEAT IS THE FUTURE
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Cultured meat could solve the coming food crisis, and help combat climate change
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If we want to continue to eat meat, we need a more efficient production method, Mosa Meat is providing us with a solution
A NEW APPROACH TO MEAT CAN HELP END HUNGER
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One in nine people are hungry. And there will be nearly 20% more mouths to feed in 2030 than there are today
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Some of the industry’s biggest players are throwing their weight behind it. Tyson Foods has partnered with the Israeli company Future Meat Technologies and Memphis Meats.
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In Europe, Mosa Meat boasts several household name investors, including Google’s Sergey Brin, the venture capital arm of Merck, and Bell Food Group
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3. How others might get involved in this
kind of project in the future
2. What tools, methods or frameworks
that helped through the project
YOU NEED AN INNOVATION STRATEGY
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Mosa Meat research explains how they connected innovation to a strong strategy:
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Livestock contributes significantly to global warming through unchecked releases of methane, a greenhouse gas 20-30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It is projected that cultured meat will generate up to 96% lower greenhouse gas emissions, helping us avoid the disastrous consequences of climate change
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Analysis
Why Mosa is disruptive innovation
Although the current cost of a Mosa burger is roughly 10 euro, the company plans to cut costs further with additional rounds of funding
Once the costs undercut those of the existing market, Mosa will have disrupted by making a product that is cheaper, more accessible, more convenient and simple
Why Mosa is a social innovation
In addition to the positive effects the disruption will create for consumers and businesses, Mosa will have a positive effect on the environment, our resources (including animals)
and our bodies
Ultimately when it is less expensive than standard meat production, more people will be able to eat healthily