Stefan van den Hanenberg has been shaping the protein landscape from factory floor to future vision. As former owner of Dalco Food, he built a company producing both meat and meat alternatives for national and international markets — operating at the intersection of tradition and transition. After selling Dalco, he stepped into the role of Senior Director of Innovation at GEA, focusing on the technologies powering the next generation of food production. Today, he’s also involved with Van Koolen, continuing to accelerate sustainable innovation across the sector.

But Stefan isn’t done. He co-founded a new company dedicated to developing and producing sustainable raw materials for the meat alternative and hybrid market. The mission? Eliminate unnecessary complexity in the supply chain and produce the basics at the source.Because the protein transition isn’t just about better end products. It’s about smarter systems. Shorter chains. Stronger foundations. From manufacturing to raw materials, Stefan is working to make the future of protein simpler, more scalable — and ready for what’s next.