Chr. Hansen scientist on Innovation Dream Team

Expert panel selects 30-year-old development chemist as Knowledge Champ.

Lene Dybdal Christiansen, development chemist in Chr. Hansen since 2007, has been named Knowledge Champ in “Innovation Champion 2011”, an event organized by a leading Danish business magazine and IBC International Business College.

An appointed expert panel has put together an Innovation Dream Team consisting of four key profiles or roles, and Chr. Hansen’s Lene was named Knowledge Champ.

Expert par excellence
“She is the expert par excellence. She promotes the innovation project through strong technological and market related knowledge, evaluates options and challenges and she is the one to bring forward ideas for solving problems. Lene is often asked by her colleagues to solve the difficult problems in the project”.

These fine words constitute the young researcher’s nomination for the prestigious appointment, which she is proud to receive.

Into deep water
“I guess I am rather creative. My primary tasks fall within fermentation of lactic acid bacteria encompassing process optimization, development of new processes and implementation of new technologies. I work closely together with our analysis departments and application centers, and I have also been involved in developing new products,” says Lene.

“To me innovation is about getting into deep water where you can’t swim seen from a scientific point of view. Where you are testing, new wild ideas. Of course you have some notion of where this is going, but it must be new and groundbreaking,” she concludes.

A cornerstone
Innovation is a cornerstone in Chr. Hansen’s growth and we dedicate 6% of our revenue on Research & Development (2009/10). More than 300 employees work with R&D and technical application activities, ensuring state-of-the-art innovation and enabling us to further increase our market share.