Biogen digs into Europe

Biotechnology company Biogen this week celebrated its 25th anniversary by breaking the ground on a large-scale manufacturing facility in Hillerød, Denmark, marking the company's first development phase for the region and a greater presence in Europe.

At a cost of $250 million (DKK 1.75 billion), the facility represents Biogen's first major international manufacturing plant and will possess 90,000 litres of bioreactor capacity, over 34,000 m2 of terrain.

The plant, expected to create 200 jobs, will be used to manufacture multiple products in the company's growing pipeline.

"Denmark's pro-business environment, highly skilled workforce, and the rich research environment in Medicon Valley make this an ideal place for Biogen to locate its first major manufacturing facility outside of the United States, "​ said James C. Mullen, chairman and CEO of Biogen.

" This important project represents an exciting new chapter in Biogen's history and expands our presence in Europe where we were founded 25 years ago."​

Founded in 1978 in Geneva, Switzerland by Nobel Prize-winning scientists, Biogen​ claims to be the oldest independent biotechnology company in the world with more than 2,700 employees worldwide.