BIOTECH AND PROCESS INDUSTRY
The Biotech City is a growth driver in Denmark – an industrial hotspot within biotechnological production. The Biotech City has Scandinavia’s largest biotech production including a strong process industry, an extensive follow-up industry of subcontractors, and a growing ecosystem of SMVs and start-ups.
The Biotech City holds the world’s largest insulin factory, the world’s largest enzyme production and Denmark’s largest refinery to name a few. Furthermore, you will find a dense underwood of skilled subcontractors; a support industry of smaller companies, which provide indispensable equipment and essential services to support the growth journey.
Get a glimpse of the Biotech City industry below.
NOVO NORDISK
Novo Nordisk in Kalundborg produces products for treatment of severe obesity and diabetes as well as a number of biopharmaceutical products. About 30 million patients worldwide receive medicine that comes from Novo Nordisk’s production facilities in Kalundborg, which were established in 1969 and today cover an area of 1,200,000 m2 shared with Novozymes.
In 2021 Novo Nordisk announced a DKK 17 billion investment in production facilities in Kalundborg – on top of the DKK 18 billion already invested in the city since the turn of the millennium.
NOVONESIS
Novonesis is the world’s largest supplier of enzymes and microbial technology. Side by side with Novo Nordisk is Novonesis’ production facilities in Kalundborg, which are used for bio innovation to create the progress the world needs today and in the future. Bioinnovation is for example used to enable higher harvest yields in agriculture, to do laundry at lower temperatures, to make energy savings in manufacturing processes, and for renewable fuels.
novonesis.com
KALUNDBORG REFINERY
Kalundborg Refinery is a Danish energy company that produces naphta, petrol, diesel, fuel oil, and heavy fuel. Kalundborg Refinery is the largest refinery in Denmark processing approximately 5.5 tonnes of crude oil, condensate and feedstock per year and it has a tank capacity of 1.2 million m3
NNE
NNE plays a role in improving the lives of people around the world by enabling pharma and biotech companies to bring products to market with fast, innovative and reliable solutions. Every day, NNE’s engineers and technical experts solve complex engineering challenges for pharma manufacturers to help establish efficient, sustainable and intelligent facilities essential for drug production worldwide.
NNE has close to 240 employees in Kalundborg. The unique atmosphere in the Biotech City and the passion for pharma are among the reasons why NNE is located here.
KALUNDBORG utility
Kalundborg Utility supplies thousands of households with drinking water and district heating, and the company purifies wastewater from the entire Kalundborg Municipality. In addition, Kalundborg Utility supplies surface water to some of the Biotech City’s large companies.
To Kalundborg Utility, the Biotech City community and the collaboration across industry, knowledge institutions and the municipality serve as a binding partnership for sustainable growth in Kalundborg.
Kalundborg Business Council
Kalundborg Business Council is a business support organization, with around 350 members, consisting of local businesses, associations, organizations, public authorities, educational providers, and other stakeholders from the general Kalundborg area.
Kalundborg Business Council’s primary role is to create and facilitate network and collaboration, between actors, across businesses and geography and by doing so, creating opportunities for growth, innovation, and an overall strengthening of what it means to do business in the Kalundborg area.
Kalundborg Business Council help and support entrepreneurship by providing counselling, network, mentoring and helping newly started businesses connect with relevant advisors within banking, accounting and legal.
Kalundborg Business Council provides guidance and counsel to established businesses from all over the area, within fields such as communication, marketing, strategic planning, leadership, networking, structuring, sustainability and much more.
In collaboration with Kalundborg municipality and other relevant actors, Kalundborg Business Council stay informed of trends, funding opportunities, future legislation, and other vital information, with the potential to affect/benefit our local businesses.
Lastly, Kalundborg Business Council functions as a “representative” of all businesses in the Kalundborg area.
KNOWLEDGE HUB ZEALAND
Knowledge Hub Zealand is an association and a partnership created to support knowledge, education, and development in Region Zealand – especially focusing on the biotech development journey in North West Zealand.
Among other things, Knowledge Hub Zealand functions as secretariat to the Biotech City with the ambition of creating a regional biosolutions and life science cluster.

