Through the utilisation of fermentation and other biological processes, biosolutions provide a new approach that causes us to rethink how we produce and manufacture products in a variety of sectors including agriculture, food, energy, construction, textile, transportation, water, and waste management. The world stands on the forefront of a new age, where tiny but mighty enzymes, functional proteins and microbes are some of the key drivers of innovation which has the potential to help solving some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. This transformation seeks to harness the power of biology, introducing innovative methods that serve as an option next to chemical and mechanical approaches. These refined processes maximise the value of our limited resources and have the potential to advance more sustainable solutions. The biosolutions currently at hand have the potential to cut 4,300 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030, equivalent to 8% of today’s global emissions. This demonstrates the immense capacity of nature’s own toolbox to tackle the globe’s climate and environmental challenges. Both the EU and Denmark are decarbonising its economies, with biosolutions paving the way for new products and services that reduce our climate footprint.

The Danish biosolutions sector excels in developing new technologies and scaling them to commercial use. Building on a longstanding tradition, Danish research institutes and businesses have developed and applied biosolutions. This legacy ensures that advanced technologies like fermentation and biorefining are deeply integrated into the Danish industrial ecosystem, supported by a strong research community that holds extensive expertise and produces the necessary breakthroughs to drive the industry forward. This intersectoral linkage has led to increasing competitiveness and strong public-private partnerships making Denmark a European centre of excellence. This progression highlights the innovative solutions of Danish companies alongside the Danish government’s consistent strategic emphasis on the sector.

In scaling biosolutions globally, collaboration between governments, industries, academia, and civil society continues to be of critical importance. In Denmark, the notion of collaboration goes back to the cooperative movement in the 1800s when farmers united to develop and grow their sector. Today, close tie-ups between businesses, knowledge institutions, and the government mean that Denmark has a highly developed ecosystem for startups, students, researchers, and big businesses. Interdependent and well-organized, they exchange knowledge and talents, thus accelerating development.

When combining biology with technology, the possibilities of biosolutions ignite. By cunningly using nature’s own toolbox and applying it in scale, Danish companies are leading the way in advancing sustainable biotechnical solutions that contribute immensely to combatting climate change as well as safeguarding biodiversity in industrial productions. Through the implementation of biobased products and innovation, biosolutions are already now revolutionising sectors across industries, while still holding the potential for much more.

If 10 per cent of the world’s animal protein was replaced with alternative proteins, this would free up 900,000 km2 of agricultural land which could be restored to help preserve biodiversity or serve as carbon sequestration through afforestation.

In essence, Danish companies excel in harnessing the catalytic actions of yeast, bacterial-, algae- and cell-cultures, proteins, and enzymes to produce groundbreaking products for everyday life. While fermentation is an old technology used to safely preserve food, new biotechnical solutions developed in advanced laboratories enable the production of commodities traditionally associated with the mechanical and chemical industries, such as cement, plastics, and more narrowly products like laundry detergent. By 2030, biosolutions have the potential to abate 460 million tons of CO2e in the conventional plastic industry.

The world is positioned better than ever to accelerate the global sustainable transition with biosolutions. To achieve a sustainable global food system, we need solutions to reduce methane emissions, develop plant-based proteins, use less land, counter food waste and exploit side streams from food production, as well as replace traditional fertilizers and plant protection products with biologically based solutions. 

Biosolutions—nature-based tools applied at an industrial scale—are key. Enzymes, pheromones, fermentation, bio-refining and bacteria cultures drive the shift from a fossil-based to a bio-based economy. Denmark leads in this field. Danish companies have demonstrated the potential of biosolutions with resource-efficient products across various sectors. Continued investment, research, and collaboration will support this transition.

Food Nation have gathered a digital case collection of examples of biosolutions from Denmark for the global food system. Biosolutions that, for example, allow us to produce bioplastic from grass juice, replace meat with plant-based proteins, protect plants with biologically based proteins, and combat food waste by extending the shelf life of dairy products using natural processes.