ANN ARBOR — Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc., a biotech and advanced materials developer, announced it has been issued its Enterprise Registration Certificate required to begin its operations in Vietnam.
Kraig is developing genetically engineered silkworms that spin silk that has some of the strength characteristics of spiderwebs — so-called “spider silk.”
“These licenses to operate in a traditional silk producing region are the most substantial milestones for Kraig Labs commercial development since the creation of our first spider silk transgenics,” said Kraig Labs founder and CEO Kim Thompson. “Our teams in the U.S.A. and in Vietnam have been working closely with officials in Quang Nam province and with central government ministries to bring this long standing vision to reality.”
The company’s advanced silk production platform was designed specifically to fit within existing silk industry infrastructure.
“Our work to obtain these approvals has been driven by our goal of producing recombinant spider silk on a large scale, which can only be achieved by harnessing the opportunities presented by existing large scale silk production infrastructure,” Thompson said
The company has already proven through its contract with the U.S. Army that its spider silk technology can be scaled quickly and efficiently, moving from the laboratories of the University of Notre Dame and into its own research and production facilities. The company said the Vietnam deal gives it a path to greater scalability, harnessing existing silk production infrastructure with the capacity to match the demand for spider silk materials.
“Today’s announcement is more than just a major milestone for the Company, it’s a revolutionary step in the commercialization of spider silk,” said Jon Rice, Kraig Labs COO. “More than five years of hard work, meetings, and extensive legal and regulatory paperwork, have gone into securing these approvals and licenses. We now stand ready to change an entire industry.”
Today’s announcement follows last week’s announcement of the formation of the Company’s Vietnamese subsidiary Prodigy Textiles Co. Ltd., and the receipt of that subsidiary’s Investment Registration Certificate (IRC). Having been issued both its IRC and with today’s announcement, its Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC), Prodigy Textiles is preparing to begin operation.
Kraig’s new wholly owned subsidiary, Prodigy Textiles, is its spider silk production arm. Vietnam has been the focus of the company’s efforts to launch commercial scale production of recombinant spider silk, due to the country’s existing silk production infrastructure. Kraig estimates that it can produce its recombinant spider silk at prices similar to regular silk, giving the company a tremendous competitive advantage.
The company is now preparing for the grand opening of its subsidiary operations in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. Management is preparing to hire staff for the new facilities and is prepping the first allotment of transgenic silkworms to ship from its U.S. research headquarters.
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