About
COLiBRI is a Horizon Europe Coordination and Support Action (CSA) that aims to strengthen collaboration, coordination and strategic planning for crop breeding research and innovation (R&I) across Europe.
Project at a glance
Coordination and Support Action (CSA)
€3 M
June 2026 – November 2028
13 Countries
About the project
Building a stronger European breeding ecosystem
Plant breeding is the basis for crop varieties that can meet the challenges of the future. In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, food and nutritional insecurity, and increasing pressure on agricultural competitiveness, Europe requires better coordinated and long-term approaches to crop breeding research and innovation.
Europe has world-class expertise in plant breeding, but research and innovation efforts remain fragmented across countries, crops, institutions and funding programmes. Breeding cycles are long, while funding is often short term. Access to research infrastructures, data and advanced technologies also varies considerably, particularly for smaller breeding programmes and SMEs.
COLiBRI addresses these challenges by bringing together stakeholders from across the crop breeding value chain to identify common priorities, improve coordination and support more strategic investment in crop breeding research and innovation.
COLiBRI does not fund or conduct breeding research itself. Instead, it creates the framework needed to better connect existing initiatives, align research agendas and support future collaborative actions at European level.
What we will deliver
A shared vision for the future
Through extensive consultation and stakeholder engagement, COLiBRI will develop a shared European vision for crop breeding research and innovation. The project will produce:
European R&I roadmap
A European crop breeding R&I roadmap defining common research priorities
Implementation plan
An implementation plan outlining actions, responsibilities and investment needs
Collaboration framework
A collaborative framework for a future pan-European crop breeding network and funding mechanism
Policy recommendations
Policy recommendations and analyses on funding models, infrastructure needs and pathways from research to market
Who's on board
17 partners, one shared roadmap
Public research organizations, breeders, farmers, European networks and policy actors — the COLiBRI consortium spans the full plant breeding value chain.
Who's involved
A collaborative approach
COLiBRI is built on the principle that Europe's future breeding challenges can only be addressed through collaboration. The project engages actors from across the plant breeding innovation ecosystem, covering all farming systems and approaches, including:
Public research organizations
Plant breeders and breeding associations
Farmers and farming organizations
Research infrastructures and genetic resources networks
Policymakers and funding organizations
Industry representatives and other end users
Whether you are a researcher, breeder, policymaker, farmer or innovation stakeholder, COLiBRI provides opportunities to contribute to shaping the future of European crop breeding research and innovation.
Want to be part of it?