Alfa Laval breaks ground on food application & innovation center in Copenhagen

Alfa Laval has begun construction of a new Food Application & Innovation Center in Søborg, Copenhagen, marking a major step toward advancing innovation in food processing and supporting sustainable solutions to feed the world’s growing population.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on 4 March at the headquarters of Alfa Laval’s Food & Pharma businesses in the Danish capital to mark the start of construction. The state-of-the-art facility, expected to be completed in spring 2027, will cover approximately 1,200 square metres and feature the full portfolio of Alfa Laval technologies to support testing and development for both traditional and next-generation food production.

The center will serve as a collaborative hub for research and development, bringing together customers, start-ups, academic institutions, and industry partners to develop and scale innovative food processing solutions.

With the United Nations estimating that global food production must increase by nearly 70% by 2050 to meet the demands of a growing population, the new facility reflects Alfa Laval’s commitment to addressing this global challenge through innovation and sustainable technologies.

Johan Agrell, Strategic Business Development Manager, Food & Pharma Division, said the facility—first announced in January 2025—will serve as a platform for developing pioneering ideas together with partners across the food value chain.

He says, “Innovation is what we do at Alfa Laval, and the Food Application & Innovation Center will be a world-leading facility in the heart of Copenhagen, a major investment that will see us building stronger bridges with customers and partners, from start-ups to global producers.

“Alfa Laval is proud to be walking the talk and establishing ourselves as part of the ecosystem that is looking to find resilient food solutions for meeting the global supply challenge, whether that is through traditional protein extraction or new fermentation processes.”

The project has now moved decisively from planning into execution, with Danish construction and engineering contractor IBG A/S appointed to build the facility.

During the ceremony, Sammy Hulpiau, President Food and Pharma Division, Alfa Laval, delivered a speech highlighting how the new Innovation Center reflects the company’s commitment to helping billions of people access nutritious food.

“This is an exciting moment and shows our commitment to a facility that will be comprehensive in terms of capabilities,” says Johan. “It will be a place where large corporates can develop and fine-tune processes with us, start-ups can establish proof of concept and scale up, and academic researchers from around the world can meet to develop and test new ideas.”

The Food Application & Innovation Center will build on the success of Alfa Laval Innovation House in Copenhagen, which was established seven years ago to collaborate with start-ups and accelerate the development of new business ideas through knowledge sharing and partnerships.

Initially, the facility will focus on protein processing, one of the most significant challenges facing the food industry as it works to ensure sufficient and nutritious food production while minimizing environmental impact.

Through the new center, Alfa Laval aims to improve conventional production methods while exploring emerging opportunities to enhance yields, reduce energy and water consumption, and maximize resource recovery from waste streams.

“This is the goal,” explains Johan. “Alfa Laval has been around for more than 140 years, and with our range of technologies, solutions, and competences, we aim to be at the forefront of the drive to build a more resilient food system.”