Novo Nordisk Enters Industrial Biotechnology with $1.5B Green Bio-Manufacturing Initiative

Recently, the Novo Nordisk Foundation announced its establishmentBiotechnology Research Institute for Green Transition (BRIGHT), aiming to accelerate the development of bio-solutions and strengthen the bioeconomy.

Based at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the initiative will serve as a hub for academic and industrial partners to collaborate in unlocking the potential of bio-production.

BRIGHT will focus on three major areas:

Sustainable materials, microbial food, microbes for net-zero agriculture

The Novo Nordisk Foundation will provide up to DKK 1.05 billion (RMB 1.018 billion) in support for the program over seven years.

The goal of the institute is to develop and expand innovative bio-solutions in every field, ultimately creating sustainable and competitive alternatives to fossil-based products and processes, thereby making a significant contribution to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

At BRIGHT, researchers from DTU will collaborate with research colleagues from other universities in Denmark and internationally, as well as with industry.

Novo Nordisk is the pharmaceutical company with the highest market value in Europe, and has garnered significant global market attention in recent years due to the weight-loss wonder drug "semaglutide."

Financial reports show that in the first nine months of this year, Novo Nordisk's revenue increased by 23%, reaching 204.7 billion Danish kroner (approximately 208.3 billion Chinese yuan).

Among them, Semaglutide continued its strong performance, with sales in the first nine months of this year reaching 141.213 billion Danish kroner (approximately USD 143.7 billion).

The production method of Semaglutide mainly includesBiological Fermentation Method and Chemical Synthesis Method, using microorganisms such as yeast or E. coli for fermentation to synthesize the main peptide chain (GLP-1 analog precursor polypeptide), followed by chemical modification.

The technical partner this time, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), was established in 1829. Located in the Copenhagen metropolitan area, the capital of Denmark, it is one of the top technical universities in Europe and even globally.

Previously, Novo Nordisk and the Technical University of Denmark jointly establishedSustainability Research Center, which focuses on developing sustainable bioproduction methods using synthetic biology technologies, primarily targeting biomedicine and biofuels.

This collaboration also signifies that,Novo Nordisk Expands Fermentation Technology to Agriculture, Food and Other Fields.