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
