Shroomwell Biotech opens mushroom research center in Estonia

16-Sep-2022 - Last updated on 16-Sep-2022 at 13:09 GMT

The Chaga Health subsidiary opened its research and competence center near the Technopol Science Park, as the company seeks to position Estonia as an important country for medicinal mushrooms.

“Today's scientific world's interest in mushrooms is enormous, and related research has grown at a significant pace,” said Silver Laus, the CEO of Chaga OÜ.

“Estonia has great potential of becoming a global leader and trendsetter in the field of mushrooms. Our research and competence center creates all the prerequisites for starting and implementing large-scale research and pilot projects in a top-level laboratory.”

“As a company, we are witnessing a significant increase in global interest in mushrooms as a quality raw material. Due to its image of a clean environment, Estonia has a strong competitive advantage over other countries. By combining science, technological capabilities and world-class competence, Estonia has great potential to lead the development and success story of the field of mushrooms,” added Laus.

The medicinal mushroom market is expected to grow at a rate of 9.85% between 2020 and 2027.

Data Bridge Market Research states that increasing awareness of medicinal mushrooms and ongoing R&D adds fuel to the demand for the release of medicinal mushrooms from various industries.

Broadening the current understanding of mushrooms

Shroomwell Biotech, image courtesy of Shroomwell Biotech & Chaga Health — Image courtesy of Shroomwell Biotech/Chaga Health

The first major goal for the company is to broaden the current understanding of mushrooms and raise awareness of the field, said Siim Raadik, the head of Shroomwell Biotech's research and competence center.

“We are used to knowing that mushrooms are for eating. But this traditional approach and way of thinking is changing. For example, medicinal mushrooms were a part of indigenous life. Today we see the growing trend of clinical studies of mushrooms in traditional medicine,” said Raadik.

“Shroomwell Biotech's interest is to find new ways to extend a person's healthy life. Several well-known mushroom species can provide side income in the field of forestry and solve ecological problems related to the environment.

“Estonia's first research and competence center focused on gourmet and medicinal mushrooms increases the already good level of mushroom research capacity in Estonia in bringing outstanding Estonian researchers and development work to the world. Mushrooms could make Estonia a new Skype for health and forestry.”

Raadik added that the company has already launched pilot projects on hundreds of hectares of the medicinal mushroom Chaga.

“By the end of this year, Shroomwell's 1,200 m2 indoor cultivation will also be completed in South-Estonia, as a result of which we will consolidate our position as the largest grower of medicinal mushrooms in the region,” he said.

Chaga OÜ, which is primarily known for the products of the Chaga Health brand, will additionally launch Shroomwell, a gourmet and medicinal mushroom brand aimed at the end consumer, during the first half of the next year, said the company.