Liquid, submerged and solid state fermentation are age-old techniques used for the preservation and manufacturing of foods. During the second half of the twentieth century, liquid state fermentation developed on an industrial scale to manufacture vital metabolites such as antibiotics.
Economic changes and growing environmental awareness generate new perspectives for solid state fermentation. SSF adds value to insoluble agricultural byproducts thanks to its higher energy efficiency and reduced water consumption.
The renewal of SSF is now possible thanks to engineering firms, mainly from Asia, that have developed a new generation of equipment. Fujiwara makes vessels able to transform substrate areas up to  for the production of soy sauce or sake. Other companies use solid state fermentation for enzyme complexes. In France Lyven has manufactured Pectinases and Hemicellulases on beet pulp and wheat bran since 1980. The company (now part of Soufflet Group) is now involved in a global R&D programme focusing on SSF technology.