Helix Lab - Kalundborg’s Post

Five Years of Connections, Collaboration, and Impact This June, Helix Lab celebrated its first five years in Kalundborg. To mark this milestone, we spoke to members of our network Axel William Larsen, Krist Gernaey, and Emmanouil (Manolis) Papadakis to hear how Helix Lab has created value and made an impact on their professional and personal journeys. Three themes stood out in our interviews: 1. Talent Pipeline “I can think of several examples where the collaboration with Helix Lab has made a difference for Novo Nordisk. One important contribution has been the talent pipeline. Helix Lab has helped create strong connections with students who later continued their careers within Novo Nordisk or in other industries in the Kalundborg area.” Emmanouil (Manolis) Papadakis, Scientific Academia Specialist at Novo Nordisk 2. A reference point for collaborations “Looking back on the past five years, I am particularly impressed by how quickly Helix Lab has become an established and recognized part of the ecosystem in Kalundborg. It has evolved from an idea and a building under construction into a national and international reference point for collaboration between universities, students, and companies. Few would have imagined such extensive development from the beginning.” Krist Gernaey Professor of Industrial Fermentation Technology at DTU Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and Chair of the Helix Lab Board of Directors 3. A strong local network “Even though I have been employed for several years, Helix Lab is still an important part of my CV and something that is recognized locally in Kalundborg. When I applied for positions at Novo Nordisk, I listed Thomas Bartholdy F. Neergaard (former Scientific Director at Helix Lab) as a reference, without knowing that he had previously been the manager of the person who eventually hired me. That was, of course, a coincidence, but it also illustrates how strong the Helix Lab network really is.” Axel William Larsen Larsen, former Fellow and Process Scientist at Novo Nordisk. A huge thanks to all three of you for putting your thoughts into words! The interviews can be read in full on our website (link in comments).