Get to know Sun Bin, General Manager of Calysta China and Chairman of Calysseo.
What is your current job role and what does your day-to-day look like?
My current role is General Manager of Calysta in China and Chairman of Calysseo, a joint venture between Calysta and Adisseo to bring FeedKind® to market in Asia. A lot of my day-to-day is focused on the opening of the new FeedKind plant in Chongqing, China, which will be the world’s first commercial-scale production facility of single-cell protein.
What attracted you to your role at Calysta and how long have you been with the company?
I could see Calysta’s product and technology as a solution to address food shortages and food security globally and this is an incredibly exciting place to be. I’m proud to have been with Calysta for five and half years.
How did you get started in the industry? What did you study and what was your first job?
I started in this industry because I have always loved innovative technology. I studied Petrochemicals as my major, and my first job was technical chief for one of Petrochina’s wholly-owned subsidiaries.
What have been your highlights or proudest achievement whilst working at Calysta?
I’ve had many proud moments during my time at Calysta, including helping the company settle down in Chongqing to build the first commercial plant. But above all, the proudest achievement has been building the Calysta team in China and recruiting Dr. Wang Jia, who is the Technical Director for FeedKind in China.
What most excites you about Calysta’s technology?
I honestly feel that working at Calysta is a dream come true. The most exciting part is the huge potential for positive impact in the future – and being part of that story from the very beginning.
What global challenge are you most looking forward to solving with Calysta?
Tackling food insecurity and bringing about positive environmental change. FeedKind’s patented production process uses no agricultural land, no plant or animal matter and very little water, therefore it can help to meet the world’s growing demand for food without placing extra stress on the planet.
What is your goal for the future or your biggest priority in 2022?
We are very close now to completing construction on the first phase of the project and my focus is firmly on completing the build successfully and bringing the product to market by the end of this year.
Do you have any advice for people wanting to pursue a career in food technology or biotechnology?
Go for it. This is the technology of the future, not only for food and pharmacy, but for chemicals as well. Working in this sector is a chance to solve global problems and shape the future of our world.