Biotechnology Awards 2021

GHP / Biotechnology Awards 2021 23 , Mar21527 High-grade natural astaxanthin products frommicroalgae has proven to have amultitude of different applications, but it takes vision to exploit this incredible natural resource to its fullest. Having achieved astonishing success in the industry, we take a look at the teamfromAlgalif Iceland, and how impressive leadership has built a company that has been able to thrive. 2020 marked two major milestones for Algalif Iceland. Firstly, it was able to celebrate the best year in its history. Secondly, it had been able to secure and implement a fully financed 30 million US$ expansion plan for its sustainable astaxanthin production facilities in Iceland. Construction has already begun on this venture and is sure to lead the team to further success. This new facility is a significant feather in the cap for the Algalif team, expanding the scale of their work. Production will increase by more than 200%, from over 1.500 kg to 5.000 kg of pure natural astaxanthin annually. The company will therefore be among the world’s biggest producers of high quality sustainable natural astaxanthin from microalgae. Algalif was recently called a company where “sustainability is a way of life”. It is a truly green and climate friendly enterprise, using only 100% green geothermal energy and no fossil fuel. Algalif has gained a status as an industry leader since its foundation in 2012. This is, of course, due to superb production quality and delivery security, extensive industry knowledge of the management team and competitive cost structure. Asked about future and how Algalif will tackle market challenges and competition in the coming years, CEO Orri Björnsson has a very specific, simple, and clever answer. “We will stay in the game by doing more of the same”. Mr. Björnsson’s entrepreneurial spirit has been a major force behind the success of Algalif over the last few years. He is an Icelandic national, born and raised in Iceland´s Capital area. For the last twenty plus years, he has been working in the pharmaceutical and micro algae industries. As a result, he has an impressive reputation and has been called on to be a consultant on international pharmaceutical development projects to the United Nations, managed various programs for the pharmaceutical companies Actavis and Balkanpharma and has been the true leader of Algalíf Iceland since the beginning. Algalif´s good fortune is rooted in Orri´s vison is to create a profitable business making quality ingredients from microalgae. The company has been able to seize production and marketing opportunities by understanding trends, technology, consumers, and players in the industry. “We life by three key values; quality, reliability, and sustainability” says Orri. He goes on to explain that the company intends to stay on the same track, continuing to be a reliable business partner that produces high quality product in a sustainable way. Best Natural Astaxanthin Products Supplier 2021 That this has led to continuous growth is surely no surprise, and the team’s expansion project is one of the biggest foreign investment projects in Iceland this year. It has had an very positive impact on the local economy. According to recent studies, Algalif is not just the biggest algae company in the country but is one of the biggest microalgae companies in Europe. “We have about 40 employees now and two years from now there will be close to 80 people working for us” Orri tells us. It’s a measure of the team’s success that they are able to plan so precisely for the future of the business. Like all companies, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Algalif, but sales continue to be good. “We are going into this investment because almost everything we can produce is already sold and last year was the best in our history,” Orri explains. “There is increasing demand for our high-quality sustainable products, so we will make more of it.” It’s good business, and shows the value of a strong vision. Algalif is always rising to the challenge as a trailblazer and a leader in the algae industry. Company: Algalif Name: Svavar Halldorsson Email: [email protected]