Biosolutions on the radar: Linea Søgaard-Lidell x Octarine
DI Biosolutions and Octarine welcomed Linea Søgaard-Lidell.
Denmark is a global frontrunner in the development of biosolutions, combining innovation and sustainability to create biotech solutions that have the potential to transform entire industries. However, even with a leading research environment and strong startup ecosystem, too many Danish companies hit a barrier when moving from lab research to full-scale production. This is a challenge that both risks stunting Danish growth and forcing our brightest companies to scale abroad.
These issues were front and center when MP Linea Søgaard-Lidell visited Octarine Bio’s labs in Østerbro together with DI Biosolutions. The discussion focused on how Danish policy can help solve the gap and create a smoother path from idea to industry. Linea Søgaard-Lidell recommended that Denmark should invest significantly in a full-scale facility for the biosolutions sector, ideally through the upcoming IPCEI projects on biosolutions.
Such collaborations would enable Denmark to share risk and attract significant investments together with other EU member states. For startups, the impact of such a facility would be immediate and practical. The journey from proof of concept to the market would be shorter. Knowledge-intensive production would be more likely to remain in Denmark rather than being moved abroad. Startups would have better chances to attract risk capital and could more easily de-risk their innovation journeys. The result would be a more connected value chain keeping new solutions within Denmark, and speeding up time to market for innovation.
DI Biosolutions fully supports this recommendation. The director of DI Biosolutions, Sofie Carsten Nielsen, underscored the stakes. She noted that Denmark is a world leader in biosolutions, but warned that up to 40,000 potential jobs are at risk if startups are not able to move from lab to full scale on Danish soil. She extended her thanks to Linea Søgaard-Lidell for visiting Octarine Bio and for the engagement in discussing the sector’s potential and the urgent need to invest in Danish large-scale production facilities.
Linea Søgaard-Lidell emphasized the importance of an ambitious Danish approach. She stated that innovation is the foundation for Denmark’s growth and welfare. Without new knowledge and new companies, Denmark stands still. She expressed her pride in companies like Octarine Bio, describing them as world leaders in sustainable colorants, and highlighted their role in bringing growth, knowledge and jobs to Copenhagen.
She concluded that this is why she is fighting for a world-class biosolutions ecosystem in Denmark. Nick Milne, co-founder of Octarine Bio, described how Denmark is at the forefront of the biosolutions sector in Europe, with the right ecosystem, research and talent to develop world-class companies. Unfortunately, as he pointed out, too many companies are forced to look abroad to scale.
Nick Milne expressed Octarine Bio’s strong support for the establishment of commercial-scale manufacturing capacity in Denmark, both to support domestic startups and to retain the capital and talent that innovative companies can develop here.
Octarine Bio is among several Danish startups using fermentation to produce bio-based pigments for the textile industry and other sectors. Many companies in this sector face the same challenge. While Denmark enjoys one of the world’s strongest research clusters, startups frequently encounter a ceiling when trying to move from laboratory to production scale. Limited access to full-scale fermentation and manufacturing facilities means that Danish startups often have no choice but to scale up in other countries.
This is a key barrier that both Linea Søgaard-Lidell and DI Biosolutions are determined to address. If Denmark creates space for startups to scale up at home, the country can cement its position as a biosolutions powerhouse. With the right political focus and investment in full-scale facilities, Danish innovation can turn into Danish jobs, growth and green solutions that make an impact worldwide.
