BioSustainability Design Novo Nordisk Foundation Fellowship Programme

Kick-off event for the programme

KRG — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:24:40 +0000

The BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme is about to kick off for the very first time, where we will introduce our very first cohort of fellows!

You are invited to our kick-off event the 2nd of September 2026 to start the voyages for our 12 new fellows!

Here, you will meet our fellows and get inspiration to design the future of food together with other professionals and keynotes speakers.

Agenda

14:00 – Welcome and introduction of the BSD Programme w. Louise Krogh Johnson, Programme Director, BioSustainability Design

14:10 – Openings speeches w. Juan Farré, CEO, DTI and Drishya Nair, Sr. Manager, Novo Nordisk Foundation

14:20 – Presentation of Host companies

14:35 – Inauguration for the very first fellow cohort

14:50 – Creating change in the food system w. Claus Meyer, Advisory Board Chair

15:30 – Reception and network

17:00 – Thank you for today!

The agenda is tentative and submitted to changes.

How to register

Participation is free, but registration is required and handled via the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) to ensure reduction of food waste.

Send an email to krg@teknologisk.dk to be part of the kick-off along with dietary restrictions, if you have any.

We encourage all interested persons and organisations in the food-sector to join the event!

We look forward to meet you and start the adventure for our fellows together!

The agenda can be downloaded below:

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Claus Meyer becomes chairperson for BioSustainability’s Advisory Board

KRG — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:40:21 +0000

Claus Meyer has spent 30 years improving Danish food culture. Now, the founder of The New Nordic Cuisine will be chair of the advisory board for a new career and innovation programme for the food sector, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. “We must nurture the most talented people of the new generation,” he states.

Claus Meyer is taking up the role of chair of the advisory board for the BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme. A new career and innovation programme run by Danish Technological Institute and supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with DKK 73 million. From September 2026, the programme will train experienced professionals each year to bring lasting change in the food sector, focusing on reducing food waste, plant-based foods and the utilisation of sidestreams.

I have spent much of my life working hands-on on specific projects. It is hugely satisfying to be able to contribute in a more strategic capacity. The Danish Technological Institute brings together talented people and develops their skills in needs-driven innovation. It is a platform with enormous potential.

– Claus Meyer, Gastronomic Entrepreneur

Focus on long-term systemic change

The programme stands out with its long-term perspective on systemic change in the way we produce and consume food. Rather than focusing on quick fixes, the BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme invests in building a generation of change agents. Agents who can bring systemic improvements in the food sector.

Claus Meyer emphasises that the greatest potential in the programme is in its long-term perspective:

“I have always been concerned with where to direct my efforts to bring about the strongest possible positive change to the food system. The BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme is about nurturing some of the most talented people in the generation that will drive change over the next 10–20 years. That is the kind of long-term systemic change I want to contribute to.”

Needs-driven innovation in practice

The BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme is a 10-month programme in which experienced professionals are brought together in multidisciplinary teams to jointly design, test and implement sustainable solutions for the food sector. Through fieldwork at host companies, participants work directly on specific challenges in the food value chain and develop solutions using the needs-driven innovation method, which aims to minimise food waste, strengthen value chains for plant-based foods and utilise by-products.

“The method requires the industry to have the courage to open its doors and let in a fresh perspective. We are currently looking for host companies for the first round, starting in mid-September, who would like to try out the method to gain a fresh perspective on their challenges and identify potential solutions for the sector,” says Louise Krogh Johnson, programme director for BioSustainability Design at the Danish Technological Institute.

She also highlights the programme’s broader ambition:

It’s not just about solving specific problems here and now. We’re training change agents. When you understand the real need rather than the visible problem, you can find solutions that really make a difference.

– Louise Krogh Johnson, Programme Director

The programme’s objective is to develop new talent capable of driving the green transition. Either by joining existing companies with their new skills or by starting out as entrepreneurs. There were 115 applicants for the programme’s first cohort. 12 applicants were selected and starts 1st of September 2026.

Press contact

Programme Director Louise Krogh Johnson, Danish Technological Institute

Mobile / email: +45 7220 3553 / lkrj@dti.dk

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Thinking of applying to BSD? Join our online info meeting on March 3rd

Sine Bach — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 15:26:42 +0000

Curious about the BioSustainability Design (BSD) Fellowship Programme and whether it is the right next step for your career in sustainable agri‑food? Join our online info meeting on March 3rd, 16:00–16:45 (CET), to learn more about the programme and how to apply.

What to expect from the info meeting

During this short webinar, you will be introduced to the needs-driven innovation approach that underpins the BSD Fellowship Programme and get an overview of the 10‑month, full-time programme structure.

We will walk you through the application process, eligibility criteria, and key dates, and you will meet Programme Director Louise Krogh Johnson, who will host the session. There will be time for Q&A, so you can ask specific questions about your background, career goals, and what it’s like to be a BSD fellow.

The webinar is targeted at potential applicants with at least three years of relevant experience, for example within Agricultural & Food Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Business, Economics & Logistics, Environmental & Social Sciences, Design & Marketing, or related fields.

How to register

Participation is free, but registration is required and handled via the Danish Technological Institute (DTI).

To sign up, please visit DTI’s website and register for the webinar “Transform Your Career in Food – Become a BioSustainability Design Fellow.”

You will receive a participation link and practical information directly from DTI ahead of the event.

We look forward to meeting you online and helping you decide whether the BSD Fellowship is the right opportunity for you.

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Million investment to create a green food revolution

Sine Bach — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 12:15:20 +0000

A new innovative fellowship programme, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, will train new frontrunners to combat food waste and pave the way for sustainable food systems.

The Danish Technological Institute is at the forefront of running the BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme, which is financed with a total of DKK 97 million by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. In addition to the Danish part, the programme includes a collaboration with the UN World Food Programme’s IGNITE innovation hub in East Africa.

Over the next four years, the BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme will focus on sustainability, interdisciplinary collaboration and practice-oriented innovation through intensive full-time courses, where participants work closely with companies and experts to reduce food waste, strengthen plant-based value chains and ensure better use of resources.

The BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme is a game changer for Denmark’s agriculture and food sector. At the Danish Technological Institute, we are proud to provide facilities, expertise and strong industry networks so that future fellows can turn ambitious ideas into concrete, scalable solutions. It is about building the talent pool we need to lead the green transition – and ensuring that Denmark remains at the forefront when it comes to sustainable food innovation, says Juan Farré, CEO of the Danish Technological Institute.

Innovation across borders

The programme includes a collaboration with the UN World Food Programme’s IGNITE innovation hub in East Africa, which focuses on solving fundamental challenges related to food shortages, food security and low productivity. Common to both regions is the need for innovative solutions that can be implemented in practice and make a real difference – across infrastructure, markets and local conditions.

By combining Denmark’s technological strengths with the entrepreneurial approach in East Africa, the BioSustainability Design Fellowship Programme helps develop solutions that are both locally relevant and globally scalable. It strengthens innovation across national borders – and we are proud to support a programme that connects networks across the entire food value chain in this way.
Mikkel Skovborg, Vice President for Innovation at the Novo Nordisk Foundation

A new way of thinking about education for experienced professionals and entrepreneurs

The Danish part of the fellowship programme takes place at the Danish Technological Institute’s Center for Food Technology in Aarhus, where participants gain access to the Institute’s facilities and subject-matter experts within food technology, including pilot plants, experimental and test kitchens, sensory and consumer labs as well as analysis and process equipment that supports rapid validation and prototyping.

Applications open in 2026

The target group for talents for the programme is experienced professionals and entrepreneurs across disciplines and nationalities who want to be pioneers in creating more sustainability and innovation in the food sector. The first round of fellows can apply for admission in early 2026, with the programme starting in September 2026. The programme is run by the Danish Technological Institute’s Center for Food Technology, which over a five-year period will train a total of 64 fellows through four intensive 10‑month full-time courses – one course each year.

Press contact:

Press Consultant Niels Tradsfeldt, Danish Technological Institute

Mobile / email: 7220 2769 / ntt@dti.dk

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