Welcome to the 120th edition of Deep Tech Catalyst, the educational channel from The Scenarionist where science meets venture!
This week, I sat down with Roman Wolff, Industry Expert in Manufacturing Scale-Up, to unpack how an experienced manufacturing and engineering operator thinks about moving Deep Tech companies from the lab to industrial scale.
Key takeaways from the episode:
🧪 Scale-Up Starts When the Equipment Becomes Real
Moving from grams to kilos is an important technical step, but true scale-up begins when the equipment, operating logic, and process assumptions start to resemble the future plant.
🤝 Vendors Are Strategic Partners, Not Just Suppliers
Equipment vendors help founders understand what can actually scale, what data is needed, what performance can be guaranteed, and how to reduce unnecessary equipment risk.
📐 FEL Turns Technology Into an Investment Case
FEL1, FEL2, and FEL3 create the engineering discipline that moves a project from process concept to defined scope, cost estimate, site selection, vendor quotes, and final investment decision.
⏳ Industrial Scale-Up Takes Longer Than Most Startups Expect
For large projects, the journey from early scale-up planning to mechanical completion can take 4 to 5 years, with engineering, permitting, financing, construction, and ramp-up all shaping the real timeline.
👷 The Company Has to Be Built Before the Plant Starts
By the time the facility is mechanically complete, the operating organization must already exist. Manufacturing leadership, supply chain, maintenance, logistics, HR, and training all need to be ready before startup.
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