Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University

What Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University does

The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering (Institut for Bio- og Kemiteknologi, BCE) is an academic department within the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University in Denmark, established on 1 January 2021 alongside three sister engineering departments (Electrical and Computer Engineering, Civil and Architectural Engineering, and Mechanical and Production Engineering). It conducts research and education across biotechnology, food technology, environmental technology, chemical engineering, industrial biotechnology, medical biotechnology, and electrochemical engineering, with stated ambition to expand its research portfolio across the full chain from basic research through applied research to pilot-scale technology development. The department operates across six Aarhus-located sites, including facilities for Bioprocess Engineering, Chemical Process Engineering, Water Technology, Air Quality and Emission Engineering, and Energy Conversion Technology.

BCE's core "products" are educational programmes and research collaboration services. Educational offerings include 3.5-year Bachelor of Engineering (Diplomingeniør) programmes in Biotechnology, Food Technology, and Chemical Engineering; BSc Engineering programmes; a 2-year MSc in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering; PhD programmes; and work-integrated Master's variants (1+2 and flexible 4-year formats) where students are employed 25 hours per week by partner companies. The annual PPE Fair (Praktik- & Projekt Day) is the flagship talent-matching event, attracting approximately 180 students and multiple companies for internships, projects, and industrial Master's placements. Research outputs flow through publications, patents, spin-offs, and public-sector consultancy in agriculture and food.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a public Danish university department rather than a commercial entity. Core funding flows from the Danish government via Aarhus University's budget, supplemented by competitive grants from Danish research councils and EU frameworks (e.g., Horizon Europe), and by fee-for-service industry collaborations and contract research. EU/EEA students pay no tuition. Customer segments are diversified: Danish and international industry (food, chemicals, energy, pharma), public-sector bodies requiring research-based consultancy, and partner companies engaged through formal collaboration agreements. Named enterprise partners include Arla (food/dairy internships), Topsoe, and PlanEnergi (Power-to-X green-fuels collaboration announced 2026-06-16).

Name

Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University

Legal name

Aarhus Universitet (Institut for Bio- og Kemiteknologi)

Website

https://bce.au.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University conducts research and education across biotechnology, food technology, chemical engineering, and environmental technology, serving Danish and international industry with collaborative R&D, work-integrated Master's programmes, and a structured engineering talent pipeline.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Higher Education and Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAEAA

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Technical & Polytechnic Universities

SECONDARYEDABALAU

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Industry-Specific Professional Training (e.g., Healthcare, Manufacturing, Construction)

SECONDARYEDABALAE

Chemicals

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Industry-Specific Professional Training (e.g., Healthcare, Manufacturing, Construction)

Keywords

• Engineering education programs
• Biotechnology research services
• Chemical engineering research
• Food technology research
• Environmental technology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarhus

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Public University Core Funding: Core institutional funding from the Danish government via Aarhus University's budget, allocated based on educational output and research performance metrics.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from Danish national research councils (e.g., Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond), EU frameworks (Horizon Europe), and industry research contracts for collaborative R&D projects and public sector consultancy.
3. Industry Collaboration and Contract Research: Fee-for-service research collaborations with private companies and public sector bodies. Collaborative R&D projects are structured to mutual benefit, with companies gaining access to world-leading researchers and cutting-edge research infrastructure.
4. Work-integrated Master's (Erhvervskandidat) Tuition Offset: Companies employ work-integrated master's students (25 hours/week) who continue their studies. The arrangement provides companies with talent pipeline and research collaboration while the university receives student tuition support through the public system.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University offers full-time engineering degree programmes (bachelor, master, and PhD) in biotechnology, food technology, and chemical engineering, as well as work-integrated master's programmes that combine part-time company employment with academic study. It also provides collaborative research and development services to private and public sector partners, offering access to world-leading researchers, specialized laboratories, and pilot-scale technology development infrastructure across biotechnology, food technology, environmental technology, chemical engineering, industrial biotechnology, medical biotechnology, and electrochemical engineering.

Product overview

The Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University offers a comprehensive portfolio of engineering education programmes and research collaboration services. The educational offerings include Bachelor of Engineering (Diplomingeniør) programmes in Biotechnology, Food Technology, and Chemical Engineering; Bachelor of Science in Engineering programmes; Master of Science in Engineering in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering; and PhD programmes. Additionally, the department offers work-integrated Master's programmes (1+2 and flexible 4-year formats) combining part-time company employment with academic study. The department also provides research collaboration services for public and private sector partners, engineering internship placements, and hosts the annual PPE Fair recruitment event connecting students with industry partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor of Engineering (Diplomingeniør) - Bioteknologi A 3.5-year professional bachelor's degree programme in Biotechnology that prepares students for careers in industrial biotechnology, biomedicine, and related fields through a combination of theoretical coursework and engineering internship.
• Bachelor of Engineering (Diplomingeniør) - Fødevareteknologi A 3.5-year professional bachelor's degree programme in Food Technology focusing on food production, innovation, and quality management in the food industry.
• Bachelor of Engineering (Diplomingeniør) - Kemiteknologi A 3.5-year professional bachelor's degree programme in Chemical Engineering covering chemical processes, process design, and industrial chemistry applications.
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering - Bioteknologi A bachelor's programme in Biotechnology (BSc Eng) that provides foundational engineering education with a focus on biological systems and biotechnology applications.
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering - Kemiteknologi A bachelor's programme in Chemical Engineering (BSc Eng) covering fundamental chemical engineering principles and applications.
• Master of Science in Engineering - Bioteknologi og Kemiteknologi A 2-year Master of Science in Engineering programme in Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering, building on bachelor's level knowledge in bio-, chemistry-, and food technology.
• 1+2 Work-integrated Master's Programme in Bioteknologi og Kemiteknologi A 3-year work-integrated Master's programme where students complete the first year of their Master's before starting a 25 hours/week part-time position in a company.
• Work-integrated Master's Programme in Bioteknologi og Kemiteknologi (Flexible 4-year) A 4-year flexible work-integrated Master's programme combining part-time employment in a company with advanced studies in biotechnology and chemical engineering.
• PhD Programme in Biological and Chemical Engineering Doctoral programme offering research training in biological and chemical engineering disciplines for students who have completed their Master's degree.
• Research & Innovation Collaboration Services Collaborative research and development projects between the department's researchers and public or private companies, providing access to world-leading research expertise and facilities.
• Engineering Internship Programme A 5-month mandatory internship component in the Bachelor of Engineering programme where students work as assistant engineers in companies, applying theoretical knowledge to practical engineering tasks.
• PPE Fair (Praktik- & Projekt Day) Annual networking event connecting engineering students with companies for internship opportunities, project collaborations, and industrial Master's placements.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TopsoecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Joint collaboration between Aarhus University, Topsoe, and PlanEnergi to advance green fuel production. The partnership addresses one of the biggest barriers to Power-to-X technology: grid infrastructure. The collaboration combines Topsoe's industrial catalyst and process technology expertise with the university's research capabilities.
• PlanEnergicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Collaborative partnership with Aarhus University and Topsoe to address grid infrastructure challenges for green fuel production. PlanEnergi contributes energy systems expertise to the Power-to-X initiative.
• CandenominorGTM or Marketing PartnerCandeno provides a platform used by Aarhus University's Natural and Technical Sciences faculty for companies to post job listings and search for work-integrated master's candidates (erhvervskandidat). Companies can directly post job openings and find suitable candidates through the Candeno platform.
• Aarhus University Faculty of Technical SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe department is one of four engineering departments established within the Faculty of Technical Sciences at Aarhus University on 1 January 2021. It shares infrastructure, cross-departmental research initiatives, and educational programs with sister departments in Electrical/Computer Engineering, Civil/Architectural Engineering, and Mechanical/Production Engineering.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EngineeringAU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/au-bce

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University