Danish biotech giant Novozymes last week broke ground for its new innovation campus in Lyngby, close to the Technical University of Denmark and seven kilometers from Novozymes’ headquarters in Bagsværd.
The 30,000 square meter campus will initially employ 800 scientists and business developers and is expected to open in 2019. A learning center and a park and nature trail open to the public will also be part of the site.
“The construction teams are now moving in, but this is about much more than bricks and steel. This is a long term investment in our future,” says Peder Holk Nielsen, Ceo of Novozymes. “Here, researchers will find biological answers to the challenges of a growing and warming world by exploring new frontiers in nature.”
The ground breaking ceremony was attended by approximately 100 guests including Novozymes’ partners and neighbors in Lyngby. Together with Sofia Osmani, the mayor of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality, and a group of pupils from local schools, Novozymes’ CEO broke first ground.
“There are around 50 billion microbes in just one tablespoonful of soil found on this ground here today. Every single one of them can be used for developing new biological solutions,” says Peder Holk Nielsen.
Approximately 14 % of Novozymes’ revenue is reinvested into research annually, and the company, which is market leader with a 48% share of the market for industrial enzymes, has launched 100 new products since it went public 16 years ago. Novozymes uses biological solutions to replace harsh chemicals, lower temperatures and pressure, and reduce waste and energy consumption in its customers’ industrial processes. In agriculture, microbes found in nature enable farmers to grow more and better quality crops from the same acreage with fewer pesticides and fertilizers, expanding access to food. In laundry detergents, enzymes enable efficient stain-removal in cold water washes.
“There is still so much to learn from nature. This is why we partner with our customers to discover more about what biology can do. The journey gathers more speed here today. The innovation campus will work to strengthen our growth by developing pioneering biotechnology,” says Peder Holk Nielsen.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 