Bayer CropScience has held the first Science Forum to foster scientific dialog and promote open discussion with its principal partners. Dr. Bernward Garthoff, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Bayer CropScience commented at the international event attended by 100 scientists in Monheim: "A challenge for developing and using cutting-edge technologies is that people need to understand why this is a good idea." The CTO of Bayer CropScience made it very clear that the company´s science and technology will bring significant benefits to society globally and improving the production and quality of food, feed and fiber.

The Science Forum is a core event of key representatives in the field of science and technology: academia and researchers, food industry and media from more than 12 different countries. "We are convinced that only by running a credible communication, it will be possible to build up the level of confidence which is needed for implementing new technologies in future." Garthoff said.

For Bayer CropScience, an open and fair communication with all stakeholders will be beneficial to the business. Garthoff further highlighted: "The public at large is not always well informed, where revolutionary ideas and technical innovations come from - what science and technology are about and what the real inventions mean, inventions shaping their life on earth."

New steps into the future with innovative technologies

Several presentations and a panel of respected experts debated about key requirements for the implementation of innovative technologies.One of the prominent speakers was Prof. Dr. Carl Batt, Director of the Nanobiotechnology Center, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, New York, USA with his presentation: 'Too Small to See: The Promise and the Fear of nanotechnology'. Nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology are instrumental tools that will accelerate advances in areas such as genomics, combinatorial chemistry, high throughput robotic screening, compound discovery, high throughput sequencing and bioinformatics. This has the potential to lead to an evolution of entirely new industries in health care, medicine, agriculture, food and nutrition, environmental management and chemical synthesis.

The best combination of Research Technology

For the first time, a company like Bayer CropScience provided more transparency on technology platforms established in research. "Our aim is to develop products with a superior biological and environmental profile and an increased product quality at the same time," explained the CTO. Bayer CropScience has a unique research platform to identify crop protection compounds with novel modes of action.

"We would like to show, how we operate in the field of cutting-edge technologies, how we combine technologies, how we pursue innovation, and how we develop new solutions for crop production with the vision to improve crop quality and finally, get acceptance for our products and solutions," Garthoff said. New product developments in recent years and new market introductions in the coming years are the key factors enabling the company to achieve its objectives.

Revolution in transforming the ideas

New catalysts and materials, machines the size of a molecule and molecular electronics will revolutionize present computer systems. Several research labs are actively working to transform these ideas into reality. Garthoff explained, that scientists will systematically analyze principles of natural biological functions in order to utilize them commercially. "Material specialists and chemists, architects, engineers and automobile constructors will look further into nature's toolbox."

He sees the information technology (IT) as an important tool for generating masses of information. Bayer CropScience screening facilities handle and manage those masses of data with the IT.

Focussing on innovation

The lead time from invention of a molecule to launching the product in the market has now reached an average of 8 years, according to Garthoff.

"High-throughput- technologies have been added to the discovery process of crop protection products, using input from genomics, proteomics, informatics, miniaturization and combinatorial chemistry. At present, robots are being developed which can test on a nanoliter scale." These technologies will support the chemists and biologists decisively in their quest to invent highly specific active substances.

Bayer CropScience has some very promising cooperations in the field of research. Garthoff stated: "We will announce a licensing deal together with Max-Planck-Society, following the grant of a European patent on Agrobacterium transformation of plants and the successful outcome of a US patent dispute."

The chance of changes

The fundamental changes in technology, driver of the industrial growth, have had lag phases of about 50 years. "It is essential to note that innovation cycles of the related technologies are becoming shorter and shorter," explained Garthoff. This implies that decisions have to be taken faster, more often and that society has to cope with more changes in their life triggered by new technologies. "There is no doubt, that a focus on this will be relevant for further progress in implementing new technologies."

The use of microelectronics, from the smart-chip and the cell phone to the tiny digital hearing aids and many other practical developments, have helped many people to an improved or more pleasant way of life. Garthoff said: "This is one of the amazing fields of innovation and it will be possible in 20 or 50 years from now. The accelerating rate of innovation of computing power has meanwhile reached the capacity of the brain of a spider - this may sound deceiving, but in 2025 the computing power supposedly could reach the level of a human brain."

Garthoff sees the genomic research in future as a key area in agricultural gene technology. "The post-genomic era in biological research will take for granted the on-line access to huge amounts of genomic data bases.

Within the next 10 years, a computer model of a 'virtual plant' that simulates the molecular functioning of a common plant may be used to understand plant physiology and select genetic modifications for establishing favorable traits in a more purposeful way," Garthoff said.

Plant Biotechnology offers additional opportunities to produce - on a renewable basis - crops with improved qualities and even to manufacture specific plastics, proteins, pharmaceutical products, starches and oils. "At Bayer CropScience, we clearly see this field of opportunities and we have this very much in our research focus to maintain technological leadership," added Garthoff.

Challenge of technological innovation

Dr. Jochen Wulff, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer CropScience, outlined the risks and opportunities involved in cultivating new technologies and the conditions necessary to create an environment that actively promotes technological advancement and innovation. He addressed how innovations change our economies and societies and what responsibilities the scientific community, politicians, media and other opinion leaders have in this context.

Wulff said: "Without science and the science industry, there would be no basis for product, process or technological innovation, critical to foster technological and societal progress." He added, that the same pertains to the crop science industry. "Growing global competition for leadership has put the focus on the ability of multinational companies to step up to the technological challenge posed by new innovative processes like genome analysis and molecular target search."

Wulff referred to the fact, that only profitable companies were capable of supporting and driving technological advancement. "A clear conviction of top management is necessary, that adequate mid- and long-term returns on the invested capital can be attained to ensure the growth and sustainability of the organization."

Bayer CropScience´s recent acquisition of Aventis CropScience underlines its commitment to the crop science industry and the belief in its future potential. Innovation is key to replacing older chemistry with more advanced technology. This will augment crop productivity, improve crop quality and reduce crop loss from pests, diseases and weeds in a more environmentally sound way.

Growth potential in the field of plant biotechnology

Wulff sees enormous growth potential in the emerging field of biotechnology. "Both conventional crop protection and plant biotechnology will play an important role in optimizing natural resource use in meeting future global demands with respect to food, feed and fiber production." He believes that Bayer CropScience is in a promising position in both technologies and that the team of 4,000 researchers and developers represents a key asset to meet the challenges ahead.

While managing the internal R+D capabilities is one issue, Bayer CropScience and the entire industry are heavily dependent on adequate political and regulatory support networks. These ensure proper framework and clearly define ethical values and ground rules. Wulff constituted: "For Bayer CropScience, long term investments can only be justified if two primary conditions are fulfilled: The first is a predictable political and regulatory environment that permits long-term planning. The other is the protection of intellectual property rights."

Intensify the dialogue with the relevant decision-makers

The CEO of Bayer CropScience considers product registration and commercialization to be increasingly complex. "Today, more players are involved in decision making and this strongly influences our business." He took a critical view of the influence of pressure groups on the food industry, for example, which has prompted a number of food producers to set their own quality standards far exceeding those required by law.

Wulff made it very clear that all stakeholders should focus their efforts and energy on the key issues driving progress and innovation. "We cannot afford to waste resources by allowing ideology and politics to play a dominant role."

In view of constantly rising cost of innovation in the industry, Wulff pointed out, that adequate protection of Intellectual Property rights in form of patents or trademarks has become more and more important. "Intellectual property and its protection are one of the most powerful instruments for economic development and diffusion of new technologies." He sees the need to intensify the public discussion on this issue and pursue a constructive dialogue with the relevant decision-makers in society.

Bayer CropScience aims to intensify the dialogue with external stakeholders - opinion leaders, decision-makers, relevant authorities and the media - and the scientific community. Wulff emphasized, that events like the Science Forum are an important step in that direction: "We will continue to encourage all measures that lead to a more constructive dialogue with all key stakeholders involved in the international policy development and deployment process."

Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of some EUR 6 billion, is one of the world's leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, seeds and plant biotechnology, as well as non-agricultural pest control.  The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications.  Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 20,000 and is represented in 122 countries, ensuring proximity to dealers and consumers.

The full story can be found in BayNews. http://WWW.NEWS.BAYER.COM/News/News.nsf/id/2003-0555