Europe is home to some of the world’s most advanced scientific research, yet it has long struggled to convert breakthrough discoveries into scalable companies that can compete globally. In a decisive move to change that trajectory, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has committed up to 736 million euros to the BioInnovation Institute, one of Europe’s most ambitious engines for life science, deep tech and emerging innovation.
This long term funding frame, spanning 2026 to 2035, marks one of the largest innovation investments ever made in Europe and aims to drastically expand BII’s capacity to support startups, entrepreneurs and research based ventures across the continent.
Scaling a Proven Innovation Platform
The BioInnovation Institute was originally founded to accelerate promising discoveries coming out of Denmark’s research ecosystem. In just a few years, it has evolved into a global innovation hub, helping more than 130 companies launch and attract nearly one billion euros in external capital. BII’s programmes such as Venture Lab, Bio Studio and Quantum Lab provide support ranging from scientific expertise to infrastructure access and project funding.
BII currently awards up to three million euros per project and up to 1.8 million euros per startup. With the new investment, its ability to scale these offerings will increase significantly. The institute plans to support far more startups each year and expand into new scientific and technological fields including the accelerating areas of AI and quantum technologies.
Europe’s Innovation Gap
Despite Europe’s strong academic foundation, many scientific breakthroughs remain trapped in laboratories due to the region’s long standing commercialisation gap. While globally renowned for science, Europe lags behind the United States and Asia in turning research into economic growth, industrial competitiveness and global market leadership.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation intends for BII to play a central role in addressing this imbalance. By strengthening support for entrepreneurship within health, sustainability and societal resilience, the foundation hopes to fuel economic growth and create new industries across the continent.
Strengthening European Competitiveness
According to Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the investment gives BII the opportunity to expand its reach and reinforce its position as a European powerhouse for innovation. He emphasises that translating science into new companies and solutions is essential for economic competitiveness, job creation and societal wellbeing.
The expanded funding ensures that Denmark’s innovation engine can scale in a way that directly benefits Europe’s broader ecosystem. The foundation sees the investment as a long term strategy to support scientific breakthroughs that address urgent global challenges.
Partnerships at the Core of BII’s Vision
The institute already collaborates with a collection of major industrial and philanthropic partners. Notable initiatives include a women’s health innovation programme with Ferring and the Gates Foundation and recent collaborations with the Villum Foundation and the Lundbeck Foundation to support early stage companies in Power to X technologies and treatments for brain disease.
BII’s CEO Jens Nielsen says that such partnerships are essential to transforming scientific discovery into real world impact. He underscores that while BII has demonstrated a highly successful innovation platform, advancing Europe’s competitiveness requires strong collaboration between academia, industry, foundations and investors.
A Catalyst for Europe’s Innovation Future
The new funding will expand BII’s infrastructure, strengthen its programmes and attract a broader community of startups and researchers across Europe. It will also enhance the institute’s ability to collaborate with universities, accelerate new partnerships and serve as a magnet for both commercial and philanthropic investors.
As Europe seeks to redefine its role in the global innovation landscape, the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s investment positions the BioInnovation Institute as a critical force for scientific translation, entrepreneurial growth and long term economic resilience.
