Why Biotech Needs a New Playbook.

Rethinking Scale — from Economies of Scale to Economies of Learning

In this episode of Leaders on a Mission, Arsenale founder and CEO Massimo Portincaso joins host Simon Leich for a wide-ranging conversation on what it will really take to scale industrial biotechnology.

Too often, biotech tries to borrow its scale logic from other industries — chemistry, pharma, software. But biology behaves differently. It’s context-dependent, complex, and highly variable. Which means that the traditional notion of “scaling up” — by building bigger vessels and pushing higher volumes — may not be the right answer.

©Leaders on a Mission / CS Partners

Massimo introduces an alternative: economies of learning. Instead of relying on brute size, he argues for systems that learn — modular bioreactors, tightly integrated data feedback, AI-driven optimization, and organizational models that prioritize adaptation over hierarchy.

The episode also touches on:

  • Why precision fermentation needs different infrastructure than bio-pharma

  • The hidden costs of scale-up thinking

  • Designing bioproduction platforms for reproducibility and cost — not just novelty

  • Rethinking organizational structure to better reflect the systems we’re building

Listen or watch the full episode on your preferred plattfom here:
🎧 YouTube
🎧 Spotify
🎧 Apple Podcasts

Learn more about CS Partners and Leaders on a Mission here: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/

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De-Risking Scale-Up in Biomanufacturing