When we wash clothes, open a beer, or bake a loaf of bread, we don’t usually think about what’s happening behind the scenes. But all these everyday activities depend on something called “biosolutions”. These are biobased solutions that use enzymes, microorganisms, and plants to create greener, cleaner alternatives to fossil-based products – solutions many experts see as key to addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges.
According to Copenhagen Economics, today’s biosolutions could cut global CO₂ emissions by 4,300 million tonnes by 2030. They curb food waste, feed a growing global population, and more too. With so much potential, the industry is booming. The global market for biosolutions is expected to reach US$742 billion by 2030.
Few places are better suited for entering this growing industry than Denmark — it’s where the term “biosolutions” was first coined. Here, you can find Campus Kalundborg, an educational and research hub with programmes from some of the country’s biggest universities. One of them is the Master of Science (MSc) in Biosolutions from the University of Copenhagen.
At Campus Kalundborg, you’ll learn alongside peers from around the world, sharing experiences and forming lasting friendships. Photo: Helix Lab
Training the problem-solvers the planet needs
The two-year English-taught MSc in Biosolutions is designed for those who want to develop more sustainable ways of producing food, biomaterials, biologicals, and environmental technologies. “We have many problems regarding sustainability, and for this, we don’t need theory; we need solutions,” says Professor Serafim Bakalis, a lecturer in dairy product technology.
And that’s how the programme is set up. In your first year, you’ll take core courses like Biosolutions in Industrial Application, Biological Production Hosts in Industry, and Fermentation at Scale. They teach you the basics you need to understand and improve how bio-based production works in industrial settings. What’s more, additional coursework in process technology and data analysis will help you optimise production workflows and design new bio-based products.
As you move through the rest of the year, you can personalise your path with restricted elective and elective courses that match your interests, whether that’s sustainable production, developing of new biosolutions, regulation and legislation in production, quality control, or project management. Examples of restricted elective courses include Biosolutions for Circularity and Side Stream Valorization and Sustainable Processing and Production Systems. Whatever you choose, it’ll prepare you well for your second year, where you will write your master’s thesis.
With its modern laboratories and equipment, Campus Kalundborg makes it easy for you to build the projects you’ve been dreaming about. Photo: Helix Lab
Industry at your doorstep
While you’re studying, there are plenty of chances to collaborate with major biotech companies and see how the industry actually works from the inside. “You as a student will actually find guest lectures from the industry, case studies from the industry, and maybe you will also make your thesis in collaboration with the industry,” says Kirsten Jørgensen, Head of Studies at the University of Copenhagen.
Courses combine real-world challenges with the newest research happening at the University of Copenhagen, and many students choose to do a Project in Practice or write their master’s thesis with a company. “Our industry partners played a big role in the programme’s development. They’ve expressed the need for the specific skillsets that we’re now teaching our students,” says Professor Bakalis.
You might be wondering how Campus Kalundborg has secured such close access to biotech companies and real-world case studies; this kind of access doesn’t happen by chance after all. The answer is in the location. Kalundborg is Scandinavia’s largest biotech cluster. “The biggest reason I chose Kalundborg is that it’s where the industry is,” says student Ariadna Perez Montero. Lukas Leth, another student, agrees: “There are great opportunities for internships and student projects.”
Kalundborg, located in western Zealand and about an hour from Copenhagen, is Denmark’s fastest-growing municipality. It houses the country’s largest and fastest-growing biotech companies, along with the Kalundborg Symbiosis, a unique partnership where biotech factories, the oil refinery, local companies, the large central power plant, and the local utility plant share resources to reduce waste and save energy. In short, your future workplace might literally be across the street.
With a mix of classroom learning and real-world experience from industry partners, graduates are well-prepared and in demand in Kalundborg and across Denmark and internationally. Your expertise in bio-based solutions is in demand among ingredients, foods, probiotics, and bio-based chemicals manufacturers. And if you’d rather look beyond manufacturing, there are plenty of opportunities too: research, policy development, consultancy, and jobs linked to green innovation in sectors like food, agriculture, and environmental technologies.
