Future-proof campus: Chr. Hansen to give facilities a sustainable overhaul

30 Aug 2019 --- Chr. Hansen is giving its Danish campus a modern and “future-proof” makeover in response to the increasing demand for natural and sustainable products. This will help the R&D facilities in Hoersholm, north of Copenhagen, achieve its goal of being a center for innovation, knowledge sharing and customer support, and an inspiring and efficient workplace for the employees, the company says. Construction is expected to last from next year to late 2022, racking up an estimated cost in the double-digit million euro range.

“Consumers and our customers are becoming more aware of how we can reduce the carbon footprint and enjoy healthy foods produced with less waste in a sustainable way. This is a macro trend across industries, driving an ever-increasing interest in sustainability,” Søren Westh Lonning, CFO at Chr. Hansen, tells NutritionInsight.

As well as establishing a modern innovation campus with laboratories for an additional 250 scientists, the project will also build a major new application center. The center will allow the company and its customers to test and tailor-make new and innovative products in a realistic production environment. Lonning hopes that the renovation will help attract the talent the company needs to stay at the forefront of the industry and proceed on its sustainability journey.

“With this investment, we will ensure room for growth and innovation gearing ourselves for the future, which looks promising for a company that offers natural and sustainable solutions to some of the world’s most important challenges such as reducing food waste, feeding a growing world population and reducing the use of chemicals,” Lonning adds. 

The project will prioritize fully exploiting access to daylight and the surrounding green area.The project will prioritize fully exploiting access to daylight and the surrounding green area. This is to ensure a close interaction with nature to highlight that nature is the source of the company’s products. “Chr. Hansen’s strategy is called ‘Nature’s No. 1 Sustainably.’ It is based on deep bioscience capabilities to produce natural and microbial solutions and the strengthening of our labs. The establishment of the application technology center is fully aligned with the strategy, ensuring room for future innovation and growth,” Lonning notes. 

“We will follow the ambitious Danish energy standards for construction. Among other things, the wooden interior design will ensure the use of environmentally friendly materials. Construction at a site in operation is always a challenge. We are very much aware of safety for our employees and the continuous development of new products to our customers. Both topics have been addressed during the planning of this project.” Lonning continues.

The company has entered into a cooperation agreement with PensionDanmark, while Catella Corporate Finance A/S has been the financial advisor. PensionDanmark is one of the 50 largest pension funds in Europe with €31.5 billion currently under management.

“We are a financially strong partner and we have a mutual interest in always keeping agreements on quality, on time and on budget. At the same time, it is important for us to demonstrate social responsibility and put demands on subcontractors when it comes to ethics and sustainability in all processes, materials and working conditions. In this way we share the same values as Chr. Hansen,” says Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO of PensionDanmark.

Lonning highlights that the company is looking at various growth opportunities across the business, with it recently entering a joint venture with Lonza to develop and manufacture live biotherapeutic products for pharma and biotech customers. Additionally, he notes that plant-based dairy alternatives are another example where the company sees a lot of interest. 

By Katherine Durrell