Today's Company

An international company

Today Göttingen Minipigs are fully recognized as an established animal model by all regulatory authorities worldwide. High health, welfare, quality, knowledge, and service standards have turned Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs A/S into a leading international company supplying Göttingen Minipigs for biomedical research around the world, in close cooperation with our dedicated partners.

Besides breeding Göttingen Minipigs, our products and services have evolved significantly since the exclusive licensing agreement was signed in 1991. Today our offerings include:

Biological material and blood samples from Göttingen Minipigs
Genetically altered Göttingen Minipigs
Development of animal models
Surgery and services
Project management (in-vivo-testing, proof of concept, early-phase study development, etc.)
Educational courses and practical learnings

The breeding today

Genetic management is still required in order to minimise inbreeding and drift and to maintain the genetic integrity of the population. The genetics for the entire breeding population is still managed in Göttingen and all breeding data dates back to the 1960s when the species was developed.

The entire breeding population is found in four physical locations: Dalmose, Denmark; Göttingen, Germany; North Rose, New York, USA; and Tokyo, Japan. Despite separation into sub-populations, Göttingen Minipigs remain genetically coherent across continents, enabling comparison of scientific results over both time and distances.

From our AAALAC accredited facility in Denmark, we breed Göttingen Minipigs and enable the development of safer and more effective medicines, all based on our core values: Animal welfare, quality, respect, and collaboration.

Core values

Animal Welfare

We live out a culture of care maximizing the well-being of our animals.
We are passionate about constantly improving and refining our animal welfare, being foundational to everything we do.

Quality

We provide outstanding products and services adding premium value to our customers.
We relentlessly stay focused on the needs of our business partners.

Respect

We listen, learn and take action maintaining a high standard of integrity to keep our company a diverse and inclusive place to work.
We support and encourage a safe, stimulating, and open working environment.

Collaboration

We strive to be an organization where different minds, perspectives, backgrounds, and competencies create value and thrive together.
We engage in close partnerships with our stakeholders to make a difference and to achieve shared goals.

ESG | Taking on our responsibilities

Whenever we have had the need to expand our facilities, we have kept the environment in mind. And we continue to do so.

Below, you can see examples of our initiatives to ensure environmental, social, and governmental responsibility in our operations and ways of doing business. If you are interested in knowing more, please contact ellegaard@minipigs.dk.

Environmental | Solar panels

Solar panels produce approx. 150,000 kWh, corresponding to 25% of our total power consumption.

Environmental | Geothermal heat solution

The temperature in our breeding barriers is regulated through geothermal heat. Two meters underground, there is a constant temperature of 8 degrees Celcius. This temperature heats or cools the air in the barriers as it passes through approx. 30 km of underground pipes. The 8 degrees cold air means that we use no electricity on air-conditioning systems in the summer, and the temperature can likewise be raised to 8 degrees in the winter.

Environmental | Straw-fired boiler

To support the geothermal heat solution, a straw-fired boiler heats our entire facility, both breeding barriers and office buildings and our water. This solution saves at least 70,000 litres of fuel oil every year and classifies our heating solution as carbon neutral. Furthermore, the straw comes from the surrounding fields and is thus part of the local ecosystem.

Environmental | Charging stations

8 charging stations support employees in choosing electric cars.

Environment | Climate forest

In 2023, we planted 808 trees as part of a climate forest in Denmark. The forest will absorb carbon dioxide corresponding to 202 tons of CO2 during the trees' lifetime as well as ensure and enrich biodiversity. This investment was repeated in 2024.

Environment | Energy consumption

All fluorescent lamps have been replaced with LED solutions, and automatic light control dims the lights in the administration building when there is no activity. Furthermore, we closely monitor power and water consumption, making it easier to discover malfunctions and prevent overconsumption.

Environment | Waste

We meticulously sort all our waste and garbage and ensure correct handling of hazardous and medical waste to support recycling and proper waste disposal.

Social | Animal welfare

A high level of animal welfare has always been an important priority. Read more here.

Social | Education

Through continued education, employees can evolve within their respective fields of expertise. This way, we can maintain high quality in our services and collaboration with our customers, while also ensuring that employees feel engaged, valued, and supported in their professional development.

Governance | Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

As part of our commitment to conduct business with the highest standards of ethics and integrity, our SOPs serve to ensure and document reliability, consistency, and high-quality standards.

Governance | Code of conduct

Another example of our commitment to conduct business with a focus on ethics and integrity is our whistle-blower solution and Code of Conduct.
Scroll down for more information.

Code of Conduct for Suppliers

We are committed to conducting business with the highest standards of ethics and integrity. Our suppliers play a critical role in our success, and we expect them to share our commitment to ethical business practices and sustainability. This Supplier Code of Conduct outlines the principles and standards that we expect our suppliers to adhere to when doing business with us.

Download Code of Conduct for Suppliers.

Contact us

Are you curious to know more about the scientific services we provide? Contact us for more information about how we can support your study.

About us