The 14,000 square metre NovoSeven facility in Hillerod, Denmark, was designed and constructed as a fast-track project by the life science engineering company, NNE, for the healthcare company Novo Nordisk. The facility houses production of NovoSeven, which is used for treatment of bleeding of inhibitor patients.
By breaking down the building process into modules, NNE was able to complete the NovoSeven production facility in only 18 months. Such fast-track implementation is critical to the pharmaceutical industry where it is essential to establish manufacturing capacity as soon as a product has been approved by the authorities.
Vice president Henrik Risborg from Novo Nordisk accepted the award and said: "We built the NovoSeven Facility to meet an urgent demand for a life saving drug, and therefore we wanted it to be built faster than previously seen for a facility of this magnitude and complexity."
The award is given to a pharmaceutical manufacturer with a facility project that demonstrates global leadership - one that showcases cutting edge engineering, innovative new technology, or advanced applications of existing technology.
Hans Ole Voigt, President of NNE, said: "It confirms my notion that the facility is an important milestone not only for NNE but also for the pharmaceutical industry. The facility prompted us to rethink conventional ways of designing and building pharmaceutical facilities. As a result we developed the NNE modular concept, which enabled us to hand over the flexible facility after a fast-tracked 18-month period."
The award ceremony took place on Wednesday, April 27 at Interphex, the world's largest and most comprehensive pharmaceutical conference in New York.