Novozymes opens new R&D lab in Brazil

Novozymes recently opened its new R&D laboratories and Customer Solutions facilities at its site in Araucária, Paraná, Brazil. The R&D center will initially focus on the development of new enzyme products for Brazil’s rapidly expanding bio-energy sector. “Our new facilities and expanded research capacity will promote the growth of advanced biofuels in Brazil, an industry that creates jobs, fosters development of new technology, provides new export opportunities for Brazil and Latin America, and creates sustainable solutions essential to the world,” said Pedro Luiz Fernandes, regional president for Novozymes in Latin America. Based in Denmark, Novozymes A/S has eight R&D centers globally: two in the U.S., and one each in England, Denmark, China, India, Japan and Brazil. Its core business is industrial enzymes, microorganisms and biopolymers. The company invests heavily on R&D; an average of 14% of its annual global sales turnover. Brazil is a world leader in the production of sugarcane, biofuels and flex-fuel cars (90% of the new cars made in Brazil are flex-fuel cars that run on both gasoline and fuel ethanol). The country plans to double its fuel ethanol production by 2020 to meet growing domestic and global demands. (November 22, 2011)