Lene Lange

Personal

Date of birth: July 8, 1948, Copenhagen Denmark

Married, two sons; two grand children

Position and Title 

*Professor (f), PhD et Dr. Scient., Director: “BioEconomy, Research & Advisory”

Contact Details (Orcid ID: 0000-0002-5336-1155)

Email: lene.lange@ll-bioeconomy.world

Phone: +45 24432040

Postal: Karensgade 5, 2500 Valby, Denmark 

Career Path

In summary

Reached research director level positions in both industry and academia; acquired extensive experience from all parts of the knowledge-value-chain: research, technology, innovation, patenting, product development, knowledge management, business models, and commercialization. 

In more details

Professional career includes experience from leading positions in both private sector business and public research institutes. After PhD and post doc position at University of Copenhagen, scientist in DANIDA Research Institute (1978-86). The major part of the career, 1986-2007, in R&D positions in private industry (Novo, Novo Nordisk, Novozymes A/S) finishing in top research career position (Director of Research, in Molecular Biotechnology) within Novozymes R&D. Professor (adj), University of Copenhagen, 2000-2010. From 01.02.07 back in academia, first as Head of Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2006-2008; from 01.09.08 as Dean of Research and Professor in Biotechnology at Aalborg University, Denmark. Campus director, AAU Cph 2009-2013; Director of Research for Aalborg University 2012-2015. Professor, Research Leader, Technical University of Denmark 2015-2018. Founder & Owner of own company, “BioEconomy, Research & Advisory” 2018-

Academic Degrees and Titles

• 2015  Professor & Research Leader, Technical University of Denmark
• 2008  Professor in Biotechnology, Dean of Research; later Director of Research, Aalborg University, DK
• 2006  Department Head, Professor, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• 2000  Professor (adjunct) at KVL, Danish Agricultural and Veterinary University, Denmark
• 1990 Dr. Scient. (= Doctor of Science), University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Denmark
• 1985  Recognized as competent for full Professorship, Agricultural University of Denmark
• 1976 Ph.D. (/Lic.scient.) from Institute for Sporeplants, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1973 Cand. scient (M.sc.), University of Copenhagen. Major: Biology; maths, chemistry and physics

Research

Publications, in summary, 1973-2022

In all > 275 peer reviewed papers, books, monographs and several patents which together as of today has resulted in >4.300 citations most of which for papers published since 2017. H-index 31. i10 Index: 110; Since 2015: 61 publication (Google Scholar). Publication portfolio based on having own research group all the way through the career, alongside with management positions in academia and industry.

Current Research

Discovery of novel enzymes for improved biomass conversion and biorefinery processes, with specific focus on generating value from crop residues and from marine, agricultural and industrial side streams and waste products. Development of new sequence analysis methods (CUPP), for fast track discovery of new proteins and peptides, predicting function directly from sequence, based on identifying and using conserved, unique peptide patterns. Use of such sequence analysis at meta-level. Elucidating and mining secretome composition of fungal biomass conversion. Enzyme discovery from ancient fungi and from Nature´s biomass conversion hot spots. Use of newly discovered enzymes for converting agroindustrial side-streams into delicious food. Combining art and technology for upgrading and beautifying out-sorted textiles. Relevance for climate change mitigation, circularity, responsible use of biological resources, importance of knowledge sharing and bioethical aspects included in all studies.

Advisory roles, International, European, Nordic and Danish

Highlight of current portfolio of Bioeconomy-relevant advisory roles

Experience from recent and current positions: Vice Chair of Scientific Committee for BBI JU, a 3.7 billion Euro program. Member of the Nordic Bioeconomy panel, advisory to the Nordic Council of Ministers, and to Icelandic chairmanship. Member of the Danish Bioeconomy Panel. Member of L&F, Danish Agriculture and Food industry´s Green Think Tank “Future Farming”. Member of Food Think Tank “Frej”; and member of WWF Denmark, Scientific Committee. Member, Horizon 2020 as well as Horizon Europe Reference group for Bioeconomy, food and agriculture, Ministry of Research and Education, Denmark. Intl. Scientific Committee member for ECFG. Intl. Advisory Board of MIRRI, European Culture Collections.

Advisory Functions to Danish ministries and organizations and private sector board positions

Danish National Bioeconomy Panel; Green Innovation Forum; 3F Green Think Tank; Board of SEGES A/S; Board of COWI Foundation; Danida External Grant Committee; Board of Madkulturen; Scientific Committee of Danish WWF; Board member of Experimentarium. Over the last >25 years served as member and in chairmanship roles of advisory research committees and science councils for in all 7 Danish ministries: Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Member of the National Bioeconomy Panel); Ministry of Environment (Danced, Board Chair; Rådgivende udvalg for Miljøforskning; Pesticidforskningsrådet); Ministry of Energy (REFU), Ministry of Science and Technology (SJVF, Forskningsforum, DSF Board (Vice chair); Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RUF, FFU); Ministry of Food and Agriculture (RUFF, Vice chair); Ministry of Education (FUR); Ministry of Consumer Affairs. ATV Academy member since 1988. Member of Committee of Industrial PhD Fellowship Programme from 1994- 2000. Chairmanship for ATV Gr2. Currently, ATV Steering group, Sustainable Technologies.

Nordic Advisory roles and experience (selected items)

President for ScanBalt Academy. Member of BIONÆR, Norwegian Research Council; Project Chair for the NCM project “Test centers for green energy solutions”; Member of Board of University of Stavanger; Chair of NordForsk Board. International member of the Research Council for Functional Genomics, FUGE. Chair of the Norwegian Expert Panel advising on future Importance of Bioprospecting. CSO for Barentzymes start-up company, 2014-2015. Member of the Nordic Bioeconomy Panel; member, NCM, Icelandic Chairmanship, Nordmar Biorefinery.

International Experience, Advisory roles for EU (selected items)

Vice chair of Scientific committee of BBI JU, Bio-Based Industries, a Public Private Partnership, EU Joint Undertaking; a 3.7 billion Euro program. Vice chair for the Advisory Group to the Commission for Food, Agriculture, Fishery, Forestry and Biotechnology, FP7. Chair of Expert Panel on Skills needs in Europe for the Biobased Economy; Member of the Expert Panel for evaluation of the 6th Framework Program; Member of expert panel for evaluating the EU Bioeconomy Strategy 2012. Appointed member of the French National Research Agency. 

International Advisory Boards, Chairmanships (selected items only)

Chairman of the International Advisory Board of BIOTEC, Thai National Research Institute of Biotechnology; Chairman for the Board of Trustees for the International Wheat and Maize research Institute, CIMMYT, Mexico (with global presence and mandate for wheat and maize research). Programme Chair, the Board of Trustees for International Rice Research Institute, IRRI, the Philippines, global presence and global mandate for rice research. ExCo-member of Borlough Global Rust Initiative BGRI; IAB member of NSTDA, advising Thai government, Science and Technology; Member of the Board of Sino Danish Center, SDC; member of the board of BSU, Danish Universities common initiative to Building Stronger Universities in Africa; Member of the Danish MOST steering group, Indo-Danish Biotech MoU collaboration. Chairman for Intl. Advisory Board, U-Protein Research Consortium.