The Business of Alt Protein: The importance of food within the defense industrial base
Event description
Novel production technologies in food have an important role to play in defense readiness, economic security, and global technological competitiveness — all of which are key elements of national security strategy. Presenter Dr. Liz Specht will be discussing the ways in which food biomanufacturing, in particular, can address key supply chain challenges within a defense and national security context, as well as highlight opportunities to elevate the profile of this field and establish deeper relationships with the defense industrial base community.
Meet the speaker
Dr. Liz Specht
Dr. Liz Specht has a B.S. in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of California San Diego. She is an emerging technology fellow through the Horizon Institute for Public Service, currently placed at the Emerging Technologies Institute, a think tank affiliate of the National Defense Industrial Association. Prior to that, Liz served as the Senior Vice President of Science & Technology at the Good Food Institute. She has given hundreds of presentations to a wide range of audiences, from scientific conferences to venture capitalists, and from C-suite multinational food and agriculture professionals to institutional investors. Liz has also served as an advisor to newly launched research consortia and centers in alternative proteins and to government agencies seeking strategic guidance on areas of technological need to advance the field.
Upcoming events
View all events
Sensory evaluation of alternative proteins: A best practices guide
Learn how sensory science can drive the adoption of alternative proteins.
Building Your Alt Protein Career: Shaping the Future of Food as a Plant Protein Scientist
Explore the path from food science to product innovation in this conversation on building a purpose-driven career in alternative proteins.
2026 Tufts Future Food Innovation Day
Join GFI President Bruce Friedrich at Tufts University’s 2026 Future Food Innovation Day, where he’ll participate in a morning fireside chat with Tufts professor and cell ag pioneer Dr. David…
Fish & CHIPS: Collaborative Huddle for Ideation & Problem Solving
Calling all cultivated seafood researchers and innovators! Join us for our next collaborative huddle on January 13th at 11:30 am ET.
Fish & CHIPS: Collaborative Huddle for Ideation & Problem Solving
Calling all cultivated seafood researchers and innovators! Join us for our next collaborative huddle on January 13th at 10:30 pm ET.
Foods of the Future: Science and Engineering Approaches (Gordon Research Conference)
The focus of this conference is to bring the multi-disciplinary future food community under one roof with a singular focus: collaboratively advancing the science and engineering of safe and scalable…
