Novozymes (now Novonesis)
Novozymes-Chr. Hansen merger demonstrates corporate horizontal gene transfer—combining enzyme discovery and fermentation expertise creates capabilities neither could evolve alone.
On January 29, 2024, Novozymes and Chr. Hansen completed Denmark's largest-ever merger, creating Novonesis: a EUR 3.7 billion biosolutions specialist with 10,000 employees, 23 manufacturing sites, and 40 R&D centers. Novozymes brought industrial enzymes (textile processing, biofuels, food ingredients); Chr. Hansen brought probiotics, natural colors, and fermentation cultures. The biological logic: horizontal gene transfer at corporate scale. Rather than evolving capabilities internally over decades, the companies merged complementary gene sets (enzyme discovery platforms + fermentation scale-up expertise) to create a hybrid organism that neither could become alone.
This mirrors how bacteria acquire antibiotic resistance or metabolic pathways through plasmid exchange—immediate capability gain without waiting for random mutation. Novozymes pioneered microbial enzyme production for industrial applications; Chr. Hansen specialized in strain selection for food fermentation. The merger combines Novozymes' 6,000-strain library with Chr. Hansen's regulatory expertise in food-grade organisms, projected to generate EUR 200 million in annual revenue synergies and EUR 80-90 million in cost synergies within 3-4 years. The company targets 6-8% organic revenue growth through 2025, with an EBIT margin of 29%.
Novonesis aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, with a 75% reduction in Scope 1+2 emissions and 35% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030. The portfolio splits evenly: 50% food and health biosolutions (probiotics, enzymes, plant-based food ingredients), 50% planetary health solutions (reducing chemical use in textiles, agriculture, biofuels). This is niche construction through biotechnology—reshaping industrial processes to favor biological catalysts over petrochemical ones. The constraint isn't scientific—microbes can be engineered for almost any catalytic function. The constraint is adoption inertia: convincing industries with 100+ years of chemical infrastructure to retool for enzymatic processes. Horizontal gene transfer accelerated the capability build. Now comes the harder part: ecosystem engineering at industrial scale.