Brussels, Belgium
July 2, 2007
Source:
European Pland Science
Organisation (EPSO) News No. 2
By Uli Schurr, EPSO Member of the Steering Committee ‘Plants for
the Future’
The European Technology Platform
(ETP) ‘Plants for the Future’
launched its
Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) on 25 June 2007 at the
European Parliament. This is yet another milestone on the road
to putting plant sciences back on the agenda in Europe and its
Member States. EPSO as an organisation and with the help of its
members has played a crucial role in shaping this SRA. Now we
need your support to implement the European SRA for plant
research.
ETP ‘Plants for the Future’ has a short but successful history:
it was established in 2004 as one of the first European
technology platforms with the publication of ‘2025, a European
vision for plant genomics and biotechnology’. This vision was
signed by 21 European stakeholder organisations representing
academia, farmers, industry and consumers – a clear indication
of the broad impact and recognition of plant science in Europe.
ETP then mobilised representatives of all stakeholders to
discuss the development of a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) in
their Member States.
The first impact of the SRA is already evident: 25% of Theme 2
funding for the 2007 Work Programme of the Seventh Framework
Programme was dedicated to plant research. In addition, national
funding programmes in a growing number of Member States now
refer to SRA and ERA-NET Plant Genomics for closer
collaborations with future technology platform activities.
The SRA launch is also the appropriate occasion to thank all
EPSO members who have contributed to ‘Plants for the Future’ and
Member State consultations in 19 European countries during the
last few years. We are especially grateful to the former EPSO
president Marc Zabeau and previous EPSO Board members Mike Bevan
and Mark Stitt. Special thanks also goes to Karin Metzlaff, who
serves as Executive Director for both ‘Plants for the Future’
and EPSO, and her team for their dedicated and successful
efforts in bringing European plant sciences back to the front.
Our work, however, has just started. Today, just three years
after its launch, the broad representation of stakeholders in
ETP ‘Plants for the Future’ is one of its strongest assets. The
ETP continues to have an important mission in Europe, which is
increasingly becoming aware of the importance of plants for its
future. ETP ‘Plants for the Future’ belongs to the family of
technology platforms that are working towards a European
knowledge-based bio-economy. Joining forces with these platforms
will provide the necessary momentum for plant research.
ETP ‘Plants for the Future’ will continue its efforts to
integrate plant sciences with emerging European research
strategies. ETP will use and urge to direct new financial
instruments, encourage the development of national plant
research platforms and become the reference point for the
agricultural and plant-based sectors.
ETP ‘Plants for the Future’ will need your continuing support
and support from its stakeholders, industry, academia and
farmers, to achieve these goals. EPSO members will provide this
support from the academic side. The SRA has been launched, now
it must be implemented. |
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