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Wageningen, The Netherlands
April 24, 2008
KeyGene is pleased to announce that it officially started
its new initiative the KeyGene InnovatorsClub.
On Friday April 18th, the InnovatorsClub started with its first
workshop, including the launch of
the KeyGene
InnovatorsClub website and the signing of the membership
contracts.
The KeyGene InnovatorsClub is a new collaboration platform for
plant breeding companies willing to invest in molecular
breeding. Members of the KeyGene InnovatorsClub will get access
to the molecular breeding technologies, know-how and software
solutions build up by KeyGene in the past 19 years, while
working with vegetable and field crop breeding companies. The
KeyGene InnovatorsClub members will share investment costs and
experiences on molecular breeding and quality control
strategies.
The initiative offers Small and Medium-sized breeding
Enterprises (SME) the opportunity to join forces in the
development and implementation of
molecular marker technologies
for their crop improvement. The KeyGene InnovatorsClub started
with five flower breeding companies. In the near future more
flower, fruit, tree and field crop breeding companies are
expected to join the club. A dedicated alliance manager has been
appointed to communicate and provide consultancy for the member
companies.
Ir. A.C. van Elsen, Director of
Plantum NL, the Dutch association for breeding, tissue
culture, production and trading of seeds and young plants: 'The
KeyGene InnovatorsClub initiative fits very well with our
objectives to stimulate creativity in the industry.
Collaboration within the industry is important to face the
breeding challenges and the increasing competition in Europe and
USA, but also from the new emerging markets like China, India
and South America.'
KeyGene's CEO, Prof. Dr. A.J. van Tunen adds: 'The KeyGene
InnovatorsClub slogan "join the progress" clearly appeals to
many breeding companies given the positive reaction from the
field. The KeyGene InnovatorsClub allows companies to respond to
the continued consolidation as well as the strong technology
alliances that are reality in the plant breeding market.
Breeding companies have to face these challenges in a background
of fast emerging superpowers such as China, India and South
America. The KeyGene InnovatorsClub offers a solid platform for
companies to collaborate on the novel technologies enabling the
breeding process.' |
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