Business Meets Biotech: Why Social Science Students Shouldn’t Overlook Helix Lab
Alexander Helsted is packing up. Clothes, photos of friends and family go into the suitcase, followed by a box of linens and towels. It's June 2025, and the room at Kalundborg Collegium that has been his home for the past six months is nearly empty. His master’s thesis is almost ready for submission, and after the summer, he’ll officially hold the title cand.merc. in General Management and Analytics. He is also the first student from Copenhagen Business School (CBS) to complete a Fellowship at Helix Lab.
The cranes and steel tanks of Kalundborg are a long way from the boulevards of Frederiksberg, both in landscape and lifestyle. Most CBS students naturally gravitate towards the cultural offerings and nightlife of Copenhagen. Still, Alexander chose to relocate and write his thesis in Kalundborg in collaboration with Novo Nordisk.
That decision came after attending a presentation by CBS Associate Professor Thomas Frandsen, who introduced the Helix Lab Fellowship and later became his thesis supervisor.
“I was unsure what to write my thesis about. When I learned about Helix Lab and the opportunity to collaborate with Novo Nordisk, I saw it as a great chance to write something meaningful with a company that aligns with my interests and career goals,” says Alexander Helsted.
At Helix Lab, he saw an ideal opportunity to bridge theory and practice and gain insights into the daily operations of one of Denmark’s largest companies. But at first, he wasn’t sure if he belonged in such a technically focused environment—or whether he’d fit in among Fellows writing science-heavy theses.
Bridging Disciplines
According to Thomas Frandsen, CBS students shouldn’t be concerned about whether they fit in. For him, Helix Lab clearly fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and diversity in academic backgrounds brings added value.
“Helix Lab’s mission aligns with my teaching philosophy: to learn with and through others. In Kalundborg, there are exciting collaborations happening between industries and disciplines. Our students can learn a lot from that, even though they have a social science background.”
Thomas Frandsen also points out that Helix Lab can help open doors for non-technical students into the biotech sector—an industry that increasingly needs more than just researchers and engineers.
“Helix Lab breaks the assumption that you have to work at a corporate headquarters in a big city. There’s so much going on elsewhere, and the career opportunities are excellent. Many of our students are passionate about sustainability, and Kalundborg offers rich opportunities to explore just that. I believe that Helix Lab meets their academic interests and supports their career ambitions in this regard.”
A Different Kind of Academic Support
Alexander experienced how Helix Lab’s academic and social environment transcends disciplinary lines. While he didn’t delve deeply into the scientific theses of the other Fellows, they supported each other in many other ways—especially as friends. As a native English speaker, Alexander helped others with language challenges. In return, he gained valuable insight into Kalundborg’s industrial landscape through their perspectives.
At first, he doubted how much value he could contribute to the Fellowship, especially since he didn’t use the labs or follow the same technical methodologies as the engineering students. But the shared network and academic camaraderie proved incredibly meaningful.
“The social and academic community at Helix Lab was surprisingly strong. I didn’t expect the level of support I got from both the staff and other Fellows. Even though we came from different academic fields, we were all writing our theses and going through the same process. That made the whole experience far less lonely than it otherwise might have been.”
Collaboration That Boosts Careers
Through his thesis collaboration with Novo Nordisk, Alexander built strong connections with company leaders and hopes the project might eventually lead to a career path in a corporate setting. The process, he says, has been both fun and educational.
“It’s been incredibly rewarding. Not only did it make my thesis more engaging, but it might also open doors for future employment. I had the chance to speak with several leaders about my project, and getting their feedback was incredibly valuable. Writing a thesis that connects theory with practice gave the work real meaning.”
Thomas Frandsen agrees. He sees clear benefits in how Helix Lab enhances students’ interdisciplinary and intercultural competencies. He believes Kalundborg has great potential as a hotspot for innovation and diversity.
“It’s clear that Kalundborg is undergoing rapid development across industries and within the city itself. A Fellowship at Helix Lab is truly a gift for any student. It’s a chance to experience a different side of Denmark and learn more about themselves in collaboration with others,” he says.
Alexander Helsted hopes that the suitcase will be unpacked again before long. And he wouldn’t mind if its contents find their way to a new room in Kalundborg.
“I’d be open to start my career here. I have a good network and experience with a local company, so I would like that very much.”
