Global Leadership Conference

October 24, 2022

Conference highlights

More than 80 participants from around the world were gathered in the large stairwell hall in Helix Lab to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kalundborg Symbiosis. 

Opening of the conference by Lisbeth Randers, Head of Kalundborg Symbiosis' secretariat.

Per Møller, Senior Symbiosis Developer, Kalundborg Symbiosis, and Lucia Mortensen, Senior Consultant, Port of Aalborg were inntroducing the Nordic Circular Hub project and Symbiosis Network Denmark.       

Christina Krzyrosiak Hansen, Mayor of Holbæk Municipality and Martin Damm, Mayor of Kalundborg Municipality were talking about collaboration between two municipalities in the project initiated by Kalundborg Symbiosis aiming for utilization of excess heat from the production for heating households in Northwest Zealand.

Read more about the project here

Michael Hallgren, SVP Novo Nordisk Kalundborg and President of the Kalundborg Symbiosis, was telling about sustainable production built on 50 years of experience

Søren Arens, Business Unit Manager from Gyproc Saint-Gobain, was telling the story of Gyproc from the very first symbiosis stream to a new potential.

Marian Chertow, Professor of Industrial Environmental Management and the Director of the Center for Industrial Ecology at the Yale School of the Environment, focused her address on Kalundborg Symbiosis as a best practice example of industrial ecology in international research.                                                    

Gallery walk: Meet the Symbiosis partners 

Jürgen Tiedje, Head of the Industrial Transformation Unit, Europe, was talking about Hubs for Circularity in Europe. According to him, Kalundborg and Holbæk are a roll model for hubs for circularity in Europe.

Svein Berg, Managing Director, Nordic Innovation, was answering the question: "How can the Nordic countries play a central role in the design of green business models and use this position as a future growth driver?" According to his words, if the world is to be successful in the green transition, it is imperative that we think differently and act accordingly. In this respect, the Symbiosis has paved the way for fifty years.

Torben V. Borchert, Scientific Director in the Biotech area, Novo Nordisk Foundation, was talking about sustainability perspectives from an Enterprise Foundation.

Rhys Roth, Director, Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure, was talking about new legislation in Washington State inspired by the Kalundborg model.

Peter Carlsson, Symbiosis Developer, Sotenäs Symbiosis Centrum, was telling the story of the establishment and development of a symbiosis center in Sotenäs. He also noted that a lesson from Sotenäs is that you should be careful with what you think and plan for regarding symbiosis development, it has often become reality. 

Panel discussion: How can circular production support green transition and prevent climate changes? 

Participants: Board members from Kalundborg Symbiosis: Stine Gry Roland, Director of communication and public affairs, Novo Nordisk, Flemming Zinckernagel, Plant manager at Asnæsværket, Ørsted, Hans-Martin Friis Møller, CEO, Kalundborg Utility, and Jesper Haugaard, Vice president EMA operations, Novozymes.

Facilitators: Emil Madsen, former Helix Lab fellow, Sophia Hann, student, Kalundborg Gymnasium, and Ariadna Pérez Montero, student, University College Absalon, Kalundborg

The conference participants were invited on guided symbiosis tours visiting Kalundborg Symbiosis companies: Novozymes, Kalundborg Refinery, Kalundborg Bioenergy, and Gyproc Saint-Gobain which together show how the cooperation covers very different industries and offers new opportunities for energy efficiency.  

We would like to thank the speakers and participants for taking part in the celebration of the half-century anniversary of Kalundborg Symbiosis. We hope that you got inspired, gained new insights, found new acquaintances, and had a good time at Helix Lab.