BRIEF—Novo Nordisk Foundation boss hails record year for industrial biotechnology grants and investments

The year 2021 has set records for the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Novo Holdings, with research grants and investments in established companies scaling new heights at a total of 215 million euros ($246 million).

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, chief executive, Novo Nordisk Foundation, said: “Industrial biotech has become an important focus area for both the Novo Nordisk Foundation and our investment company, Novo Holdings. Our joint ambition is to remove the barriers for developing new biological inventions and enable them to become future solutions to environmental and climate challenges.

“In addition to awarding grants, we will consider how we can help researchers overcome the problems they encounter in the regulatory system for biological solutions. Unfortunately, a major barrier in launching new sustainable solutions is that regulatory impasses delay the process from the laboratory to the wider market.”