CHR. HANSEN AS

Their core work

Chr. Hansen is a major Danish bioscience company specializing in microbial solutions, enzymes, and cultures for the food, health, and agricultural industries. In H2020 projects, they contribute deep industrial expertise in applied microbiology, fermentation science, protein engineering, and microbiome analysis — bridging the gap between academic research and commercial food and bioprocess applications. Their participation spans gut microbiome engineering, enzyme discovery using machine learning and microfluidics, alternative protein development, and multi-omics approaches to food production systems.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), Chr. Hansen focused on fundamental microbiome science, genomics, and health-adjacent topics — including antimicrobial resistance (PRONKJEWAIL), host-pathogen interactions (PIGSs), gut microbiome engineering (BestTreat), and wine metagenomics (MICROWINE). From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward applied food science, sustainable food systems, and alternative proteins — with projects like MASTER, SMART PROTEIN, and HoloFood emphasizing food quality, safety, and production sustainability. Their most recent projects (RADICALZ, E-MUSE) signal a further move into AI-assisted enzyme discovery and computational microbiology for industrial food applications.

Chr. Hansen is converging toward computationally-driven microbial and enzyme engineering for sustainable food production — expect future work at the intersection of AI, fermentation, and alternative proteins.

How they like to work

Chr. Hansen consistently participates as a partner or participant rather than leading consortia — zero coordinator roles across 12 projects. This reflects their position as an industrial contributor bringing proprietary microbial expertise and real-world validation capacity to academically-led research. With 169 unique consortium partners across 32 countries, they operate as a broadly connected industry node rather than a hub with a fixed circle of collaborators, making them accessible to new partners seeking industrial grounding for their research.

With 169 unique partners spanning 32 countries, Chr. Hansen maintains one of the broader collaboration networks among Danish food-sector companies. Their reach is pan-European with no visible geographic concentration, reflecting their global business footprint.

What sets them apart

Chr. Hansen brings something rare to EU consortia: decades of commercial-scale microbial production experience combined with genuine research engagement. Unlike academic partners, they can validate findings against industrial fermentation and food production realities. For consortium builders, they offer a credible industry partner with proven H2020 track record who can bridge microbial science and market application — particularly valuable in food, enzyme, and sustainability-focused calls.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RADICALZ
  Their second-largest funded project (EUR 425K) combining microfluidics, metagenomics, protein engineering, and machine learning — represents their most technology-intensive and forward-looking engagement.
• HoloFood
  Largest single grant (EUR 468K) applying hologenomics to animal food production across aquaculture and poultry — a unique multi-omics approach to sustainable livestock.
• SMART PROTEIN
  Positions Chr. Hansen in the alternative protein space — plant-based and microbial biomass proteins for human nutrition, a high-growth market segment.