Bagsværd, Denmark, 10 November 2023 – Novo Nordisk today announced plans to invest more than 42 billion Danish kroner starting in 2023¹ to expand existing manufacturing facilities in Kalundborg, Denmark, for the current and future product portfolio within serious chronic diseases.

The investment comes as Novo Nordisk marks the 100th anniversary of its founding in Denmark, where more than 23,000 employees still work today. Most of these employees work at production sites.

The investment will create additional capacity across the entire global value chain from manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to packaging, with the vast majority invested in API capacity. The new API facility will be designed as a multi-product facility, with flexibility to accommodate current and future processes. The investment, which includes GLP-1 products, will increase Novo Nordisk’s ability to meet future market demands.

"The significant investment announced today confirms the importance of utilising our existing sites, including in Denmark, as cornerstones for not only the growth we see but also to expand as fast as possible by utilising all the infrastructure, knowledge and competences we already have,” said Henrik Wulff, executive vice president, Product Supply, Quality & IT, Novo Nordisk. “Our continued investment in global capacity demonstrates the belief we have in our current and future product portfolio and its relevance for people living with serious chronic diseases.”

The new API facility will have a footprint of 170,000 m². It will be designed as a multi-product facility with flexibility to accommodate future processes and displaying state-of-the-art technology and working environment. As a future-proof and cost-effective facility, the construction will focus on delivering the highest quality to patients globally in an efficient and environmentally sustainable way².

The construction projects will be finalised gradually from the end of 2025 through 2029. The projects are expected to create 800³ new jobs in the facilities when construction is completed, and the facilities are fully equipped. During the construction phase, up to 3,000 external employees will be employed.

Over the past two years, Novo Nordisk has announced 40 billion Danish kroner in production investments in Denmark. Novo Nordisk has also added approximately 1,100 employees in production related to these investments. Earlier this year, Novo Nordisk confirmed that it awaits approvals for a new production site on Funen, Denmark.

About Novo Nordisk manufacturing in Kalundborg 

Novo Nordisk's production facilities in Kalundborg were established in 1969. Today, the facilities cover an area of 1,600,000 m² and have around 4,400 employees. In Kalundborg, Novo Nordisk manufactures products for the treatment of obesity and diabetes as well as several biopharmaceutical products. Since the turn of the millennium and until 2020, Novo Nordisk had invested more than 18 billion Danish kroner in the production facilities in Kalundborg. In 2021-22, Novo Nordisk announced investments of an additional 18 billion Danish kroner, building four new production facilities and rebuilding three existing facilities.

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 61,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Visit novonordisk.com for photos and b-roll supporting this press release.

¹ A portion of this investment is included in the DKK 25 billion capital expenditure announced in connection with Novo Nordisk full year results in February 2023. The additional amount will be invested through the next six years. 

² Internal calculations show that when in operation, the future facility will reduce water consumption with approximately 40% and energy consumption with approximately 50% compared to similar API processes in other facilities.

³ 700 jobs in the new API facility and 100 jobs in the new packaging facility.