Chr Hansen Innovation Campus

The Chr Hansen Innovation Campus is being developed as part of the expansion of Chr Hansen’s main office in Hoersholm, Copenhagen, Denmark.

The expansion will add research and development facilities and a new 15,000m² innovation campus in order to meet the increasing demand for natural and sustainable products.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion project will be held in 2020, while construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

Estimated to cost kr412m ($60.8m), the project is expected to allow Chr Hansen to strengthen its position as a leading bioscience company.

Chr Hansen Innovation Campus development and other details

Chr Hansen is undertaking the expansion project under a co-operation agreement with PensionDanmark that was signed in August 2019. PensionDanmark, a non-profit labour market pension fund, will invest in the innovation campus.

The total area of the head office will be increased to 38,000m², including existing buildings. The new Chr Hansen Innovation Campus will feature a main building, laboratories, meeting centre, knowledge sharing and customer support facilities.

The new buildings of the Chr Hansen Innovation Campus will be located alongside the existing ones to create a cohesive campus with an optimised flow and an inspiring and vibrant workplace.

The proposed state-of-the-art innovation campus will comprise new laboratories to allow an additional 250 scientists to conduct research. It will serve as a modern and flexible workplace with advanced labs and inspiring surroundings.

The proposed application centre will enable the testing and development of innovative, new products.

Design and sustainability of Chr Hansen Innovation Campus

The Chr Hansen Innovation Campus is designed to take advantage of the daylight and surrounding green area. It will be constructed with durable, long-life materials to improve energy efficiency.

The facility is located close to farms and forests comprising fire stacks, rainwater harvesting systems and insect hotels, all of which will create good biodiversity conditions.

Wood will be used extensively in the construction and cladding of the new building.

The Chr Hansen Innovation Campus’ design is aimed at achieving a DGNB Gold sustainability certificate.

Contractors involved

Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects (VLA) designed the new Chr Hansen Innovation Campus together with COWI and 1:1 Landscape.

Per Aarsleff was awarded the construction contract for the office building expansion.

Marketing commentary on Chr Hansen

Chr Hansen is a global bioscience company involved in the development of natural solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.

Founded in 1874, the company is actively engaged in developing and producing cultures, enzymes, probiotics and natural colours for food, confectionery, beverages, dietary supplements, animal feed and plant protection segments.

The product innovation is centred on approximately 40,000 microbial strains. More than one billion people a day across the world use products containing Chr Hansen’s natural ingredients.

Chr Hansen focuses on three major business areas, including natural colours, nutrition and food cultures and enzymes. Great amounts of analysis, such as genome sequencing and biochemical analysis, is conducted as part of the company’s extensive research and development.

With more than 3,700 employees working across 30 countries, the company generated revenue of €1.16bn in the 2018 fiscal year. In 2019 it was ranked as the Most Sustainable Company in the World by Corporate Knights.