New NordGen director in March
The new director, who has a strong management profile in the world of science, has a vision of strengthening NordGen as a leading centre for genetic diversity in agriculture, forestry and livestock. Her role involves building upon NordGen’s existing strong position as a gene bank and knowledge centre for genetic resources. She is looking forward to ensuring sustainable conservation and accessibility for future generations.
My heart has always been in Nordic co-operation and was I was involved in setting up the Svalbard Global Seed Vault back in the day. For me, the genetic resources we have preserved from the past are indispensable pieces in the jigsaw puzzle that will make biodiversity more climate-resilient in the future.
“In a world where famine, climate change and disaster pose even greater threats, NordGen’s work is becoming more and more important. Its extensive genetic knowledge bank offers solutions that can ensure sustainable food production in an era of climate change,” she says.
A seasoned Nordic project manager, Andersen spearheaded the implementation of the European Open Science Cloud in the Nordic-Baltic region along with NeIC and Nordforsk. She has a background in agronomy, years of experience in developing digital research infrastructure, strong relationships at both the Nordic and international levels in the field of biodiversity conservation and genetic resources and experience of working in political environments, which put her in a good position to help NordGen work more closely with Nordic and international partners.
NordGen's important role
NordGen is one of the key players involved in efforts to achieve the Nordic Council of Ministers’ vision of making the Nordic Region the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030. As an institution with a dedicated team of 35 researchers and operational responsibility for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the gene bank with 33,000 seed samples, NordGen plays a vital role in ensuring sustainable and resilient food production in the future.
We are looking forward to having such a strong profile as Lene Krøl Andersen as the new executive director of NordGen. She is used to work on the conservation of biodiversity and genetic resources along with Nordic and international colleagues and has experience in developing and leading teams in research-based, knowledge-intensive organisations. Lene is the right person to continue developing NordGen as the Nordic Region's leading institution for the conservation and sustainable use of plant and livestock genetic resources.
Thanks to Lise Lykke Steffensen
The Nordic Council of Ministers would like to express gratitude towards NordGen’s current director, Lise Lykke Steffensen for her eight years at the helm. Under her, NordGen has made great strides, especially as a distinguished research institution, and it is now involved in a number of significant research projects in the Nordic Region and beyond. During her time in charge, NordGen has acquired a new head office and knowledge centre in Alnarp, Sweden, and enjoyed international recognition as a leader in the field.
