History

DTU Biosustain is an international research Center of Excellence at DTU funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation working to ensure (bio)technologies for sustainable lifestyles.

DTU Biosustain was initially funded in order to strengthen Denmark's position within advanced bioprocessing and bioengineering. It was financially based upon a generous DKK 700 Million grant from the NNF in 2011 to DTU to establish the Center.

Subsequently, NNF has granted a number of extensions. In 2015, the Center had a midterm evaluation, and in 2019, the Center went through a second review round in order to evaluate its performance and results. Based on this review, the NNF chose to grant the Center DKK 750 (€100 M) for another five-year period, running from 2021-2025. This means that the NNF has, until now, funded the Center with more than DKK 2 billion (approx. €275 M) from 2011-2025.Since the inauguration in Hørsholm in 2011, the Center has rapidly developed from a few employees to an international research center with well-functioning infrastructures and more than 300 employees in Denmark and abroad.

In its early phases, the Center was situated in the Science Park in Hørsholm. During the summer of 2016, the Center moved to its new premises, a brand-new black and gold five-story high-rise at DTU (Building 220), Lyngby. In November 2016, HRH Prince Joachim officially inaugurated Building 220.

Today, the Center has an even stronger focus on sustainability and use of big data. It works within three scientific research areas to support sustainable lifestyles, directly contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 9.5 and 12.5.