Lyras shares insights on innovation partnerships at Arla Foods Ingredients
On 20 August 2026, Lyras visited Arla Foods Ingredients, part of global dairy giant Arla Foods, to contribute to a panel discussion on successful collaboration between established companies and growth businesses.
Our Founder and CEO, Rasmus Mortensen, joined the panel at the Arla Foods Ingredients Innovation Centre during an event hosted by Food & Bio Cluster Denmark
Lyras participated in a panel discussion at the Arla Foods Ingredients Innovation Centre on how established companies and growth businesses can build successful innovation partnerships.
The event was hosted by Food & Bio Cluster Denmark and brought together representatives from Arla Foods Ingredients, AAK and Lyras.
Lyras Founder and CEO Rasmus Mortensen joined Niels Østergaard of Arla Foods Ingredients and Tore Kiilerich Johansen, Open Innovation Manager at AAK, for a discussion moderated by Heidi Høy from Food & Bio Cluster Denmark.
What makes an innovation partnership successful?
Drawing on Lyras’ experience of introducing and scaling new technology in established industries, Rasmus Mortensen highlighted three factors that are particularly important for successful collaboration with large corporations: a strong internal champion, a clearly defined objective, and an open exchange of knowledge.
He also addressed some of the barriers that can slow the adoption of new technology, including risk aversion, regulatory requirements and established ways of working.
Niels Østergaard shared perspectives from the corporate side of working with growth businesses, while Tore Kiilerich Johansen emphasised the importance of managing internal expectations and defining clear criteria for success.
The panel explored five recurring challenges in partnerships between established corporations and growth companies:
- Different decision-making speeds
- Lack of strategic alignment
- Cultural differences
- Intellectual property and ownership
- Integration barriers
The discussion focused on how companies can address these challenges, align expectations and turn promising technologies into successful, scalable solutions.
Thank you to Niels Østergaard and Tore Kiilerich Johansen for sharing their perspectives, and to Food & Bio Cluster Denmark and Arla Foods Ingredients for bringing companies and decision-makers together for an important discussion.
Photo: Allan Trolle
