European initiatives on

phenotyping

What is « Horizon 2020 »?

Sebastien Crépieux

European Commission

DG Research & Innovation

Dir E, Unit E4

12-14 Octobre 2011, Wageningen

Crop production in Europe – a snapshot

40 % (172 m ha) of the EU’s land area is

farmed. Utilised agricultural area:

60 % arable land

33% permanent grasslands

6% permanent crops

Annual agricultural output worth €360 billion

58% from crop products

Main crops: wheat, oilseed

13.7 m agricultural holdings:

40% crop farming (20% field

crops, 2% horticulture, 18%

permanent crops),

22% livestock

38% mixed-farming holdings

* Figures from EUROSTAT 2007

Agriculture: Jobs, food security,

environment, rural development,

social cohesion

Challenges to current agriculture

Population growth + changing consumption patterns

(demand for animal products) Food production to be

increased by 70% by 2050

FOOD SECURITY

Increased environmental instability/ climate change effects DIVERSIFICATION, INCREASED

RESILIENCE OF FARMING SYSTEMS

Diminishing finite resources (e.g. soil, water, nutrients,

energy)

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY, LOW INPUT

PRODUCTION

Competing demands for land use, e.g. through increased

non-food production and urbanisation

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE

MANAGEMENT, MULTIPLE USES OF

AGRICULTURAL (BY)-PRODUCTS

Main global drivers for change and associated challenges

INNOVATION

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

European Investment in Research,

a rough idea

EC - FPs

5%

National -

public, private

95%

- Transnational scientific

collaboration

- Integration, pooling of resources

- Transfer of know-how,

mobility of researchers

and training

EU Framework funding for research

…. not significant in absolute terms, but contributes to

shape national research agendas and boosting:

Collaborative Research Frontier Research

Human Potential

Research Capacity

European support to foster agricultural research

and the overall bioeconomy sector

Total Specific Programmes: Total 53 billion €

€7.460m

€4.217m

ERC

Infrastructures

32,4 7,5

4,7 4,2

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

192 207 188 190 240 333 371 m€

10 Themes of the Cooperation Programme

Theme 2: Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology (FAFB) – Budget:

KBBE - Activity 2.2

Food, health and well being

KBBE - Activity 2.1

Sustainable food production

and management of biological

resources from land, forest and

aquatic environments

KBBE - Activity 2.3

Life sciences,

biotechnology

and biochemistry for

sustainable non-food

products

Theme 2 - Structure

Knowledge/Discovery

Translation

Application/Innovation

Policy development

« The words »

Framework program

Work program

Topics

Release Call for proposal

Proposal

Evaluation

Funding

Theme level

Activity level

Consortium

Many interests at European level to favour the investment in the

development of phenotyping technology and use:

- Help scientific/breeders community with phenotyping

infrastructure to work on grand challenges: sustainability of

agriculture, production, climate change… biotic and abiotic

stresses…

Improve breeding efficiency – better use of genomics

data/applicability

- Continue to build the European Research Area : link between the

platforms…

- Boost the development of SME’s developing phenotyping

techniques or producing data. Foster jobs and innovation in this

field

- A unique chance to become a world leader in the development of

the technology many groups, facilities, technology

Plant phenotyping research in FP7 calls

Call FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-2011-1

• INFRA-2011-1.1.8. Facilities and resources for plant phenotyping. A project under

this topic must provide and facilitate access to the key research infrastructures in Europe for high throughput plant phenotyping.

It should aim to integrate these facilities and resources with a long term perspective. It is expected that such a project will improve coordination, in particular as regards standards, protocols, access modalities, etc.

The facilities should enable more efficient European research to be conducted in plant genetics, plant physiology and bio-ecology, under controlled conditions.

Publication Date: 20 July 2010

Maximum budget : EUR 10 million

Competition in the call inter-topics : should be only one proposal integrating as many centres as possible

EU contribution: ~5.5 M€ 2012-2015

Networking (~1.6 M€): To foster a culture of cooperation between the research infrastructures and the related scientific communities

• Best phenotyping practices, standards and protocols

• Training of users, outreach to new users • Summer schools and International Conference • Workshops with technology developers

Transnational Access (~1.6 M€): To provide trans-

national access to researchers or research teams • Access to Jülich, IPK-Gatersleben, Helmholtz München,

Phenome Montpellier/Dijon, HAS Hungary, CPIB Nottingham, NPPC Aberystwyth

Joint Research (~1.9 M€): To improve the services

provided by the infrastructures (in quality and/or quantity)

• Novel Instrumentation for plant phenotyping • Good Practice in phenotyping

• IT for high throughput phenotyping

EPPN - European Plant Phenotyping Network (Research Infrastructures)

Canberra and Adelaide, Australia

DROPS:

WP 2011 topic

ABSTRESS: Improving the resistance of legume crops to combined abiotic and biotic stress

Traits: fusarium and drought

Leader : FERA (UK)

Phenotyping platforms : INRA Dijon, Aberystwyth University

EU budget : 3M€

Start : 1st of January 2012

KBBE.2011.1.1-02: Integrated approach to studying effects of combined biotic

and abiotic stress in crop plants

Field conditions show a combination of biotic and abiotic stresses (…).

In the context of climate change (…)

(…) and will particularly focus on having a direct application in plant breeding programmes.

The project should also advance the development of phenotyping methodologies and predictive

models.

Expected impact: (…) contribute to adapting European agriculture to forecasted climatic.

The project will also contribute to technology development related to phenotyping and modelling.

Project results should clearly be of interest and potential benefit to SMEs.

The future of EU Research:

Horizon 2020

• EU’s next Financial Framework to support Research and Innovation : 2014-2020

Target: 3% of EU GDP invested in R&D Commission proposal: EUR 80 Billion for 2014-

2020 (+ contribution from Structural funds)

4.5 bn earmarked for food security and bioeconomy (*2)

Changes : Innovation (+SME’s, industries)

Simplification

Link EU 2020

Europe 2020 Strategy

EU 2020 – a European strategy for

smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

Source: “Consultation on the future « EU 2020 » strategy, 2009”

developing an economy based

on knowledge & innovation

promoting a more resource efficient,

greener & more competitive economy

fostering a high employment economy

delivering social & territorial cohesion

From BECOTEPS White Paper on Bioeconomy

… SUPPORTS the development of rural and coastal areas, and the provision of essential public goods

… INCLUDES full range of ecosystems, land and sea resources, biodiversity and biological materials (plant, animal and microbe),

including their processing, and consumption

… ENCOMPASSES the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food, biotechnology and chemical industry sectors

… CONTRIBUTES to the sustainable growth and production of food, feed, energy and renewable materials

- Estimated 2 trillion Euros of annual turnover

- Represents over 20 million jobs

The bio-economy

From BECOTEPS White Paper on Bioeconomy

Conclusion

Importance of sustainable agriculture, production, innovation,

high skilled jobs, bioeconomy to create jobs (…) for EU 2020

Phenotyping : Timely and strategic

Nature Edito : Vol 478, 6 October 2011

« It is scientist, not Brussels bureaucrats, who are

best placed to know what is new and interesting »

Tips (also for Horizon2020)

Topics have to be linked at least to one of the different grand challenges (climate

change & agriculture, food security …)

They must have innovation content/knowledge transfer…. More and more involve

industry/SME’s (industry research related needs) innovation union

They must continue to build the European Research Area (including new countries)

They must be proposed to the commission in the most coordinated way !

When you have a brilliant topic to include in a work program, convince!

- Different institutes

- Different member states representatives

- Technology platforms (ex: Europabio)

- Industry associations (seed Asso)

- EPSO

- Farmer associations, citizen associations

- (directly to the commission)

Push your ideas

FP7/Theme 2: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/kbbe/home_en.html

EU AGRINET Research portal:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/agriculture/index_en.html

DG RTD: http://ec.europa.eu/research/index.cfm?lg=en

DG AGRI: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/index_en.htm

Europe 2020: http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/index_en.htm

Innovation Union communication: http://ec.europa.eu/research/innovation-

union/index_en.cfm?pg=keydocs

Sources of information

Thank you for your attention!

Contact: sebastien.crepieux@ec.europa.eu

Unit E.4 Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Aquacualture