News
Monsanto and Novozymes team up

Dec. 10, 2013 - Monsanto Company and Novozymes have formed a strategic alliance to transform research and commercialization of sustainable microbial products that will provide a new platform of solutions for growers around the world.

The BioAg Alliance will bring together Novozymes' commercial BioAg operations and capabilities within microbial discovery, development and production with Monsanto's microbial discovery, advanced biology, field testing and commercial capabilities, according to a news release.

Under the collaboration:

• Monsanto and Novozymes will maintain independent and complementary internal and external discovery research programs to identify microbial targets with the potential to help farmers.
• Novozymes will be responsible for production and supply of the microbial solutions to Monsanto, building on its expertise within fermentation. Monsanto will serve as the lead for field testing, registration and commercialization of all alliance products.
• The companies will co-manage the alliance and co-fund research and development efforts.
• Monsanto will pay Novozymes an aggregate upfront payment of $300 million net in recognition of Novozymes' ongoing business and microbial capabilities, and for Novozymes to supply alliance products.
• Marketing responsibility for Novozymes' current product portfolio in agricultural biologicals will be transferred to Monsanto along with much of the Novozymes commercial organization currently responsible for that work. The two companies will work to ensure that existing customer relationships and know-how are maintained and further built on for short- and long-term success.
• Both companies will benefit from profits on commercialized products resulting from this alliance and those products brought into the alliance by the parties. Through the alliance, the companies will also test and sell commercial microbial products purchased from other suppliers to bring additional value to farmers.

The agreement is subject to the approval of the relevant national antitrust authorities to the extent required. The alliance is expected to close in early 2014. Further terms of the alliance were not disclosed.

December 12, 2013  By Top Crop Manager