De tre bestyrelser har besluttet, at den nye organisation skal ledes af den nuværende direktør for AgriFoodTure Anette Engelund Friis. Det betyder, at Lars Visbech Sørensen er fratrådt sin stilling som adm. direktør for FBCD A/S. Der forventes ikke afskedigelser blandt de øvrige medarbejdere i de fusionerende organisationer.

”På vegne af bestyrelsen vil jeg gerne takke Lars Visbech Sørensen for langvarig og dedikeret indsats. Lars har været helt central i opbygningen af en af Danmarks største og stærkeste klyngeorganisationer, herunder gennem hans implementeringsindsats, da fire mindre klynge- og netværksorganisationer i 2020 besluttede at fusionere. Under Lars’ ledelse har Food & Bio Cluster Denmark udviklet sig til en velkonsolideret, landsdækkende organisation med en stærk medlemsskare fra alle dele af det danske innovationsøkosystem,” siger Anders M. Klöcker, bestyrelsesformand i FBCD A/S.

Næste skridt i processen frem mod en fusion er, at forslaget fremlægges på de tre organisationers generalforsamlinger den 24. april 2025.

A new strong innovation player in the food sector may be on the way. At the respective board meetings of Food & Bio Cluster Denmark and AgriFoodTure on February 27 and February 28, 2025, the two boards unanimously decided to recommend to their respective general assemblies the approval of a merger.

According to Sandra Irene Jørgensen, Chair of the Board of Food & Bio Cluster Denmark, and Eskild Holm Nielsen, Vice Chair of AgriFoodTure, the two organizations share closely related objectives and focus areas, creating significant potential for synergies. In a joint statement, they said:

"A merger of the two organizations will strengthen innovation and cross-sector collaboration in the Danish food cluster – benefiting small, medium, and large enterprises as well as Danish society. Without innovation, the Danish food cluster would not have become a world leader as it is today, employing 119,000 people, account-ing for 22% of total Danish exports, and contributing DKK 65 billion annually to GDP. However, the time has come to shift gears and focus cross-sector innovation efforts into a single organization. The ambition is for innovation within the cluster to secure Denmark’s position at the global forefront in developing solutions that address climate, environmental, and biodiversity challenges while promoting health and nutrition."

Closely associated with Food & Bio Cluster Denmark is the operator FBCD A/S, which, through a partnership agreement, functions as the operating and management company for Food & Bio Cluster Denmark’s activities. The board of FBCD A/S also supported the merger decision at its board meeting on February 26, agreeing that FBCD A/S will continue to serve as the operator for the merged organizations.

The three boards have decided that the new organization will be led by the current director of AgriFoodTure, Anette Engelund Friis. This means that Lars Visbech Sørensen has stepped down from his position as CEO of FBCD A/S. No layoffs are expected among other employees of the merging organizations.

"On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Lars Visbech Sørensen for his long-standing and dedicated efforts. Lars has been instrumental in building one of Denmark’s largest and strongest cluster organizations, including through his implementation efforts when four smaller cluster and network organizations decided to merge in 2020. Under Lars’ leadership, Food & Bio Cluster Denmark has grown into a well-established, nation-wide organization with a strong membership base from all parts of the Danish innovation ecosystem," said Anders M. Klöcker, Chair of the Board of FBCD A/S.

The next step in the merger process is for the proposal to be presented at the general assemblies of the three organizations on April 24, 2025.