Biocatalysis entails the use of enzymes and microorganisms in manufacturing processes to produce products such as industrial biologics, biopharmaceuticals and bio-veterinary compounds, flavours and fragrances, food additives and extraction of natural compounds from plants which can be used in the formulation of dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, food and feed products and cosmetics. The Industrial Biocatalysis Hub (IBH) is an initiative of the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and is hosted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The IBH was established to provide technical product and process development support to enterprises in the biomanufacturing sector using biocatalysis technologies, with the aim of creating and expanding biocatalysis capacity and uptake in industry.  

The key objectives of the IBH are the following:

• To provide a platform for industrial assimilation of biocatalysis technology;
• Selection and support of Nodes to support biocatalysis activities and capacity building; and
• Embarking on collaborative projects with enterprises to localise and develop technology in biocatalysis for implementation on commercial scale.
   

The IBH has been capacitated with funding to offer the following:

• Use of infrastructure and skilled human resource support (scientists, technologists, process engineers) related to Biocatalysis and Biomanufacturing;
• Technology development, technology validation, scale-up support and techno-economic analysis;
• Bio-based product development, formulation, and labelling or packaging;
• Mentoring and training in manufacturing skills; and
• Expert analytical support and method development such as: ultraperformance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometer, gas chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
   

Nodes supported by IBH:

• Wits
• UFH
• UFS
• UWC
• Rhodes