Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, has announced plans to invest €2.1 billion in expanding its existing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production facility in Denmark. The investment will create additional production capacity and enable Novo Nordisk to meet future market demands for treatments of serious chronic diseases. The new facility, expected to start producing API by early 2029, will be designed as a multi-product facility with state-of-the-art technology and a focus on environmental sustainability. The project is expected to create 340 new jobs upon completion. Novo Nordisk employs over 21,000 people in Denmark, representing half of its global workforce.
Bagsværd, Denmark - Novo Nordisk today announced plans to invest 15.9 billion Danish kroner (€2.1bn) starting in 2023 [1] to expand an existing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production facility in Denmark for the future portfolio within serious chronic diseases.
The investment comes as Novo Nordisk marks the 100th anniversary of its founding in Denmark, where 21,000-plus employees – approximately half of the company's global workforce[2] - still work today. The majority of these employees work at various production sites.
The investment in Hillerød, Denmark will create additional production capacity and increase Novo Nordisk’s ability to meet future market demands and be a key enabler for Novo Nordisk to develop its future clinical late-phase product portfolio.
“This important investment will ensure the continuous development of our late-phase pipeline into deliveries of important medicines for treatments to patients worldwide,” said Henrik Wulff, executive vice president of Product Supply, Quality & IT. “The investment announced today confirms Hillerød and Denmark as cornerstones in our global footprint, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Danish Government and Parliament for their continued focus on ensuring good and stable infrastructure and supplies – allowing us to continue to expand our production capacity to the benefit of patients living with serious chronic diseases.
The new facility – which will be approximately 65,000m2 – will be designed as a multi-product facility, with maximum flexibility to accommodate new processes and displaying state-of-the-art technology and working environment. As a future-proof and cost-effective facility, the construction will focus on delivering the highest quality to patients worldwide in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way. This will be done by designing optimal and compact process flows allowing a substantial reduction of water and energy consumption[3].
Construction is underway and the facility is expected to start producing API by early 2029. This project is expected to create 340 new jobs when construction is completed, and the facility is fully equipped.
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases such as obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 57,100 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
1 A portion of this investment is included in the DKK 25 billion capital expenditure announced in connection with Novo Nordisk full year results in February 2023. The additional amount will be invested through the next six years.
2 21.000 full-time positions in Denmark in 2022, representing 40% of all positions globally
3 Internal calculations show that production in the future facility will reduce water consumption with more than 40% and energy consumption with more than 1/3 compared to similar API processes in other facilities.