Novo Nordisk Engineering, a consultancy firm operating as a subsidiary of Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, has opened an office in Sweden.
The company, which specialises in establishing, rebuilding and optimising pharmaceutical production facilities, set up the subsidiary in Huddinge, south of Stockholm, in response to a growth in its Swedish business.
"The decision to establish NNE Sweden AB was triggered by the increase in turnover in Sweden, where NNE has recorded sales running into double-digit millions (DDK)," said the firm in a statement.
Kay Stendevad, who has been appointed managing director of NNE Sweden, said: "We are both local and international players. We aim to build an independent Swedish organisation focusing on local customers. Coupled with our international experiences, our extensive network means we can meet all our clients' needs for consulting and engineering services."
NNE's Swedish client base includes AstraZeneca, Pfizer/Pharmacia, Ferring, Novozymes Biopharma and Polypeptide. The services most in demand are in the fields of automation, Good Manufacturing Practice compliance and validation, process operations and clean room technology.
NNE Sweden has hired five engineers to date, all with experience from the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, and said further recruitment is underway. The Huddinge premises will be officially inaugurated at a reception on 9 October 2003.