Novozymes launches open innovation initiative HelloScience

16 Oct '17

2 min read

Novozymes, the Denmark based company dedicated to enzymes and microbes, has launched its new open innovation initiative, HelloScience, inviting collaboration on global challenges. The initiative aims to foster collaboration across borders, expertise and technologies on serious global challenges such as those addressed in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Complex problems require advanced solutions and new ways of finding them. This is the thinking behind Novozymes’ HelloScience, an online network where innovators, start-ups, companies and others can work together to develop solutions for some of the world’s greatest challenges.

“The major global challenges are complex in nature and will be difficult to solve,” says senior vice president Claus Crone Fuglsang, Head of Research & Technology at Novozymes. “Novozymes has experience and expertise, but we don’t claim to have all the answers. We need to work together to deliver better systems to solve challenges within water, food, waste and more.”

The first theme under HelloScience is ‘water’ and includes five specific challenges. Other challenges focus on biological solutions to remove polluting chemicals from water or improve cleaning of wastewater. That includes better filtering, less sludge, and recovery of phosphate, a precious nutrient, from wastewater.

“Novozymes already provides a range of microbial solutions for treatment of both industrial and municipal wastewater, but we believe biotech in combination with other technologies can play an even bigger role. HelloScience provides a timely opportunity to bring new innovative solutions into the world of water and wastewater treatment,” says Claus Crone Fuglsang.

The initiative is an open forum and everybody with an interest in water can suggest ideas. Start-ups and small companies are the primary target group, but water experts, university researchers, corporates, NGOs, investors, students and others are also welcome, Novozymes said in a statement.

By posting ideas or solutions to a challenge, participants get access to a network of researchers and innovators to help elevate the concept and find synergies with systems proposed by other collaborators. The best solutions will receive enzyme and microorganism samples from Novozymes and further access to experts, including Novozymes’ investment team and industry business teams. (RKS)

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