European Plant Biotechnology Network (EPBN: 1997 - 2000)
A joint collaboration between AMICA, PIP and the Co-ordinators of the FP-IV Plant Biotechnology projects
The European Plant Biotechnology Network initiative is a proposal submitted as an Accompanying Measure to fulfil three objectives:
The proposal is submitted by AMICA-Science-EEIG in association with the Plant Industrial Platform (PIP) and the co-ordinators of 44 FP-4 plant biotechnology consortia. The 44 project co-ordinators, AMICA and PIP have discussed mechanism s to stimulate and facilitate network activities across the whole plant biotechnology sector and a document has been produced based on the conclusions/actions arising from the discussions. These conclusions and subsequent inputs from AMICA, PIP and the co -ordinators form the basis of this proposal for funding.
AMICA-Science EEIG will act as the single interlocutor with the Commission and be responsible for all contractual and legal interactions with the European Commission connected with this initiative. However it will be guided by an Adviso ry Board to fulfil many of the tasks listed within the proposal. The Advisory Board will consist of two representatives of the AMICA-Science EEIG, two representatives of the Plant Industrial Platform Foundation and six research co-ordinators, representing the six thematic clusters in the Framework-4 plant biotechnology research programme. Members of the Advisory Board will be elected by the constituent parties to this agreement. Therefore, both PIP and AMICA will each appoint two representatives. Each res earch cluster will elect a member to act as spokesperson for their cluster. The clusters will also have the opportunity to replace their particular nominee if a simple majority of cluster co-ordinators decided that such an action would benefit the cluster as a whole.
Figure 1: Contractual management of EPBN
ADVISORY BOARD
The series of task orientated objectives in the proposal will be managed and overseen by the EPBN Advisory Board and implemented by AMICA-Science EEIG and PIP. It is anticipated that the Advisory Board will meet more often in the first year in order to fulfil its responsibilities. Thereafter evaluation meetings will be on a biannual (6 month) basis. Day-to-day implementation of the proposal and policy actions arising from the Advisory Board will be in the hands of the AMICA and PIP proj ect managers, who will seek external professional help as and when required. (In order to reduce the need for regular meetings of the Advisory Board, the Board may wish to nominate two members to oversee the activities of the project managers). It is anti cipated that as all 44 projects are linked to this initiative, direct contact between the EPBN managers and the consortia will be at the cluster spokesperson and/or the co-ordinator level. However, the Advisory Board may decide that some tasks may best be accomplished via direct contact with the 384 individual project leaders. In this case both the relevant co-ordinators and the co-ordinators of the clusters will be kept informed on progress. All meetings of the Advisory Board will be minuted, with copies of the agenda and actions posted on the EPBN web page. All members of the network will therefore be kept fully informed on progress and given the opportunity to suggest topics or agenda items for discussion.
The opportunities and objectives described within the proposal will be made available to all professionals active within the area of plant biotechnology, including all relevant research consortia funded via European Union supported prog rammes, national research initiatives, industry and interested layperson.
The objectives of the EPBN can be elaborated as follows:
Promotion of the achievement made by all projects funded under BIOTECH II (area 3.1) to broader audiences including industry
The EPBN will seek to establish modalities to stimulate networking across and between each of the plant biotechnology consortia funded as part of BIOTECH II area 3.1. A network approach to the stimulation of added value through the fost ering and implementation of links, exchange of information, access to different laboratories and the sharing of facilities between scientists with different but complementary expertise, should not only improve the quality and output of EU funded research projects, but also enhance the multiplier effect, thereby further developing Europe’s competitive advantage in this economically important area of science.
Enhance interactions between European industry and the plant biotechnology research base
In order to further develop the potential for the optimum interaction with the end-users of EU sponsored research and the application of all EU research results in the broadest possible sense, this proposal seeks to:
Stimulate the awareness of the benefits of plant biotechnology to society
The establishment of a network for internal dissemination of scientific information can also be utilised to improve policy makers’ and public awareness of plant biotechnology. The EPBN management team will work with the research consort ia that have been selected to receive support from the EU Biotech Framework-4 Programme, to develop and distribute success stories, important achievements or developments in the application of their research, amongst a much wider audience of potential end users, developers of the technology, other researchers, policy makers and the interested general public. A major goal of this activity will be to make more people aware of the importance of European plant science to Europe and to its future quality of li fe. It is anticipated that the EPBN proposal will be of interest and direct relevance to the following target groups:
Specifically this activity will seek to:
Activities can be divided within the following categories and are described in more detail in the following sections:
1.
Promotion of the achievement made by all projects funded under BIOTECH II (area 3.1) to broader audiences including industry
2.
Enhance interactions between European industry and the plant biotechnology research base
3.
Stimulate the awareness of the benefits of plant biotechnology to society
4.1 Scientific networking
4.1.1. Collation and distribution of scientific and technical information
The EPBN proposal will seek to establish modalities to stimulate networking across and between each of the plant biotechnology consortia funded as part of the EU’s fourth Framework Programme. During the initial phase of the EPBN pro ject, a working dialogue will be established between the Advisory Board and each of the scientific co-ordinators of the funded consortia. The aim will be to raise awareness of the research that is currently being supported at the European level and to dem onstrate that added value and technical advantages can be achieved via the free flow of information within and between research clusters and between individual consortium funded via the FP-4 Biotechnology Programme. By providing access to and use of elect ronic and hard copy documentation channels, the co-ordinators will be supported in their dissemination tasks, and added value will be created as a culture for co-operation and interaction is sustained.
Figure 2: Flow of information within and between research clusters
4.1.2. Scientific co-operation
In order to minimise duplication and inefficiency, the Advisory Board will pay close attention to all relevant activities in the field. It is anticipated that added value can be achieved via enabling and fostering closer co-operatio ns between research consortia facilitating the exchange of data and results and the planning of joint efforts. The co-ordinators of EPBN recognise that many consortia will have already negotiated and put in place measures to protect their intellectual pro perty. If requested to do so by consortium co-ordinators, EPBN will help in the negotiation of collaboration arrangements and/or confidentiality side-clauses to existing agreements, to enable effective co-operation for research purposes only. Initial inte ractions are more likely to occur between consortia within individual clusters. However as the work of the Advisory Board develops, cluster spokespersons will use their experiences and knowledge to identify bottlenecks to scientific advancement and make r ecommendations on how scientific interactions with different cluster consortia could help overcome problems or impediments.
Figure 3: EPBN dissemination routes
4.1.3. Production of a Web-site/one-stop-shop for information
An extensive web-site will operate, structured on two levels. After a common access point or homepage, the web-site will be structured to:
Through the web-site new entries will be invited, press releases will be made available and forthcoming meetings and achievements will be publicised. The co-ordinators of EU Biotech consortia will also be offered facilities to publish w ww-pages on the server, describing their own research projects and links established to those consortia with exiting information on the web. The aim will be to provide a single resource, or one-stop-shop for all publicly available information on EU FP-4 p lant biotechnology projects. Industry will also be invited, via a proforma, to submit details on their specific areas of research interest. The web-site will contain pages (1 per company) on industrial activity, contact names and addresses, fields of inte rest etc. The EPBN management will take full-time responsibility for the co-ordination of resources, and appoint a web manager dedicated to the collation of data, the editing of the material, updates, additions and general customer support. The following data will be made available either directly from the EPBN web-site or via hyper-textual links and will be constructed to reflect the different audiences for which the information is intended:
Information sheets, detailed links, databases:
Dynamic information sources:
4.1.4. Establishment of e-mail news service
A secure e-mail server restricted to the participants will be established to facilitate communications between the participants and with the Commission.
EPBN will seek to establish an electronic automatic information channel, based around a list server, which will be used to automatically update all participants on developments within EPBN, communicate information from the Commission, a nd form the basis of a help desk where problems and solutions can be shared. It is expected that there will be active involvement of participants within the programme.
EU funded project co-ordinators and their project partners will form the core of the network and e-mail distribution network. However, through the web-site anyone interested in EU plant biotechnology can apply for a free subscription to this service. An e-mail service together with a bi-monthly newsletter will provide the network members with information on new entries on the web-site, general plant biotech news alerts and EPBN project activities. The main areas of the e-mail service ca n be summarised as follows:
4.1.5. Phytosfere ‘99
The research projects from the FP-4 Biotechnology first call will complete their tasks in year-2 of the EPBN proposal. In order to effectively capture all of the relevant research results developed under the umbrella of FPIV funded plant biotechnology projects, and to ensure the maximum promotion of these achievements to broader audiences including industry, the Advisory Board will seek to organise a major scientific and technology transfer event towards the end of Year 2. (Phytosfe re 1999) This event will organised around European Plant biotechnology Week in order to facilitate optimum take-up of articles and position papers by the European media. The Advisory Board, working in conjunction with the consortia chairmen, will be asked to identify areas or projects where the results from the research supported via BIOTECH II could have an impact on European industries and/or improve upon societal issues or the well being of the European consumer.
4.2. Enhancement of interactions between EU industry and the plant biotechnology research base
4.2.1. EU industry information base
EPBN will assemble information on EU companies active in plant biotechnology, plant breeding and seed production. Such information will form a knowledge base on expertise, contacts, techniques, crops, co-operations, company structure, c areer opportunities etc., to form a basis for future industry/academia collaborations.
The information will be collected during the EPBN project on a wide range of EU companies, active in research and production. The information will be made available through the Internet, or through direct interaction with the EPBN manag ement team. It is expected that availability of such information would greatly enhance active and passive technology brokerage prospects of the EPBN project.
4.2.2. Meetings with PIP and other end users of the research
PIP has already organised workshops for research consortium co-ordinators dealing with academic-industry interactions, IPR and technology transfer issues. Organisation of similar meetings will continue and it is anticipated that three s ubsequent Industry Contact (IC) meetings will be coincide with yearly PIP members meetings. The IC meetings will focus on technology transfer, partnering and the demonstration of the results of the FP-4. Each of these IC meetings are open to EU funded res earch project participants and/or individual institutional IPR managers or employees from any EU company.
Year-1: The first meeting will concentrate on current co-operations between EU industry and academic research laboratories. The event is planned at a PIP member's site location with possibilities for an excursion through the facilities. Presentations will be sought from PIP member companies, experts in technology transfer and selected project co-ordinators or partners. From the latter group, preference will be given to participants with notable interest in such co-operation leading to c oncrete research results. Prior to the meeting all partners in the FP-4 projects will be invited for participation to submit a letter of interest. The outcome of this meeting should deliver an insight in the achievements of EU research co-operations, meth ods to improve conditions and identify successful early projects in FP-4.
Year-2: The purpose of the Phytosfere '99 meeting (see section 4.1.5), although similar to the two other IC meetings, is to concentrate on tangible research results in the FP-4 programme. In contrast to the IC meetings, the Phytosfere ' 99 meeting is projected to attract a greater number of project co-ordinators / partners from the FP-4 projects as well as representatives from the EU plant biotechnology industry. The identification of successful research projects and applications which h ave been developed prior or during the course of the FP-4 will serve the efforts of the EPBN in the area of public relation, thus bringing the results of science closer to the EU public.
Year-2: A technology transfer workshop will be organised for, but not exclusively, young scientists / entrepreneurs willing to learn more about start-up companies. Expert participants will be invited to present relevant issues such as: partnering, research focus, scale-up, product development, the business plan, venture capital, marketing, regulatory affairs.
Year-3: The second IC meeting will concentrate on partnering possibilities. Since the FP-5 is expected to be underway in the year 2000, it would be an ideal moment to investigate further co-operations, possibly in the form of a Demonstr ation Activities. The EPBN Advisory Board will be instrumental in the development of this particular meeting.
4.2.3. Technology transfer
An essential element for technology transfer is the dissemination of research results to potential end-users, without obstructing the scientific process. The distribution of unpublished research results, while protecting the IPR owner, will be pursued following the procedure described below. The EPBN management team will actively advertise this possibility to stimulate maximum return from EU investments in plant biotechnology research. Therefore this scheme, on voluntary basis and in ad dition to the provisions already in place, ensures optimal possibilities for exploitation of EU funded research.
EPBN will make use of the following procedure to assist dissemination of the research results:
The mechanisms described above are to be seen as a service offered by EPBN for the benefit of FP4 project partners and potential end-users. At no time will these procedures be allowed to delay publication unless there is a clear require ment by both the author and the potential developer of the technology to first seek patent protection.
4.2.4. IPR management, technology brokerage
In order to enable partners of individual research consortia or third parties to exploit the results of the RTD projects, the results need to be described and documented on a regular basis. Furthermore in order to ensure that EU industr y (either within the individual projects or external to the research consortium) can fully exploit the information generated, these results need to have been protected, or at the very least the opportunity to undertake protection at some later date remain s a viable option. Increasingly the successful management of IPR throughout the life of a project has become more and more important.
Awareness of the importance of effective property management will be encouraged and IC meetings will be organised. Steps/mechanisms will be put in place to help ensure that generated IPR is protected prior to any disclosure within the p ublic domain. Expert, professional services will be sought and their details will be made available to help EU research groups undertake a technology audit, if required. The EPBN will offer a brokerage service to assist on the management and protection of potentially important IPR from its initial protection through to the negotiation of licensing deals if individual research groups request assistance within this area. Although EPBN would be unable to provide assistance in helping to meet the direct finan cial costs associated with patent protection and professional fees it will use its extensive network of contacts and experiences to help the owner of the IP to identify and negotiate potential sources of alternative funding. Contacts with specialists will be utilised to help in the exploitation of the protected technology. The services of the EPBN will be utilised to drive forward the process and to proactively link researchers with industrial partners, in addition to those commercial parties already esta blished within individual consortia. EPBN would also provide impartial advise on the development of consortium agreements, sources of potential venture capital etc., and provide a focus around which institutional IP and financial administrators could shar e experiences and develop and share guidelines (best practice) on a range of IP, legal and finance related topics.
An important activity in this respect is the technology transfer workshop, to be organised in the second year of the EPBN programme. Young scientists / entrepreneurs, willing to learn more about start-up companies, and will discuss with experts issues such as: partnering, research focus, scale-up, product development, the business plan, venture capital, marketing, regulatory affairs. Participants will be sought from interested scientists among the FP-4 partner projects, who will be requ ired to send a letter of motivation to the EPBN advisory board.
4.2.5. Internet
In order to support the various activities, designed to stimulate a productive innovation climate, extensive use will be made of the web-site and the E-mail news service, as described in sections 4.1.3 and 4.3.4
4.3. Stimulation of awareness of the benefits of biotechnology to the EU society
An important function of the EPBN initiative is to distribute information on general progress in plant biotechnology in Europe, not only among network members and industry contacts, but also to a wide range of external audiences. The fo llowing methods have been chosen to reach this goal:
4.3.1. Media communication and public relations
From material, produced in fulfilment of contractual obligations by each of the 44 consortia (ie posters, leaflets and annual reports), EPBN will select success stories for distribution to many different audiences. It is important that any dissemination type of activity does not impose any additional burdens on individual scientists and co-ordinators. Secondly, information should respect consistent format and references, which have been defined previously by the DGXII public relations u nit. The formal approval for every publication must first be sought from the Commission’s Biotechnology Unit. Thirdly, the outputs arising from the EPBN should be of high impact. There will be a 2 tiered approach to PR incorporating independent PR profess ionals on the one hand, and a proposed network of national PR managers to distribute success stories in the form of press releases, brochures or pre-written documents among network members, the Commission, MEPs, representatives from national governments a nd funding agencies, press agencies, interested NGO’s, universities, colleges and schools and other external audiences who may be stakeholders within plant biotechnology.
Independent PR professionals (i.e. freelance-writers and producers) will be used on a case-by-case basis to develop and formulate stories, articles and other features, for placement in National newspapers, journals, radio, TV etc.
EPBN will seek to establish a network of PR Managers from all Member States, which it will seek to use as the main conduit for the dissemination of scientific information and results arising from the FP-4 biotechnology projects. Major g rant awarding organisations within the Member States and industry employ professional media experts to promote and disseminate the results arising from research support by their respective organisations.
Success stories generated by individual institutions would thus be fed to the relevant PR manager in the Member States. The information would then be transcribed into a press release. Having first cleared the press release, article or d raft with the scientist concerned and EPBN (to check if others are involved and gain clearance from the Commission), the PR Managers may then feed the story to their contacts within the Member State. The EPBN management will subsequently:
If required, because of an absence of these types of contacts in Member States, EPBN would work with the generator of specific stories and using external, independent professional PR experts, to help place particular stories or features. EPBN, through the Advisory Group would monitor the impact and effectiveness of these activities on a regular basis.
4.3.2. Brochure
An initial publication on selected achievements from the first year will be produced and widely distributed.
In addition a full colour brochure will be produced, based on the information contributed by FP-4 project partners, the posters produced by the co-ordinators, information from the web-site, invited contributions and material developed a nd assimilated by the EPBN PR efforts. A selection will be made from the information base on EU plant biotechnology research projects, which are thought in the view of the Advisory Board to best exhibit developments and progress resulting from EU research activities. In addition there will be opportunities for EU plant biotechnology companies, especially SMEs, to contribute a profile on their activities, products and future prospects. A section on the outcome of EU funded studies on consumer needs, EU pol icies and economics will also be considered. The brochure will be distributed to all parties (network members, press, NGO’s) receiving the press releases and EPBN documents and will also be sent to policy makers, science managers and industry in the EU me mber States. The publication of the brochure is planned following the Phytosfere'99 meeting, which coincides with the European week of Plant Biotechnology in the year 1999.
4.3.3. European Week of Plant Biotechnology
In order to promote the benefits arising from EU sponsored research to European industry, society, the environment and the citizen, a European Week of Plant Biotechnology will be organised in the year 1999 when a concerted attempt will be made to raise awareness across Europe. Experts and well known scientists from within the Member States (and therefore from within the EPBN network) would be encouraged to take an active role in developing and promoting the contribution that plant biote chnology makes to society. Similar to the European Week of Plant Biotechnology in the summer of 1997, organisers of current activities such as conferences, seminars, debates, open days, school visits, publications will be asked to join forces and promote European plant biotechnology. EPBN will ensure that the announcement and outputs arising from this activity will be promoted within the European media.
4.3.4. Internet
In order to support the various activities, designed to stimulate a productive innovation climate, extensive use will be made of the web-site and the E-mail news service, as described in sections 4.1.3 and 4.2.5
5. REALISATION OF THE ACTIVITIES
All activities will be jointly co-ordinated and managed on a day-today basis by the AMICA-Science EEIG project office and the PIP secretariat. The initiative will be overseen and directed by an Advisory Board (see fig.1). All activities have been accounted for in the section ‘Financial breakdown’ both as working hours and direct costs for production of printed matter, mailing, computer facilities etc.
Year-1
Year-2 and year-3