Focus Areas
COLiBRI is organized into seven interconnected focus areas (work packages) that together provide the knowledge, stakeholder input and strategic planning needed to strengthen plant breeding research and innovation (R&I) across Europe.
The project combines an analysis phase, which identifies needs, gaps and opportunities, with a strategy phase, which translates this evidence into a shared European vision and practical recommendations. The diagram below illustrates how the different focus areas interact throughout the project.
Focus areas
How the focus areas work together
Click on any card to view its full description.
Analysis phase
Strategy phase
Looking beyond COLiBRI
Plant breeding needs and gaps
Lead: INRAE
This focus area analyzes the current and future needs of European crop breeding across different crops, traits, breeding approaches and farming systems. Through literature reviews, surveys and stakeholder consultations, it identifies research priorities, innovation gaps and opportunities to support more sustainable and resilient agriculture.
Research infrastructure mapping
Lead: Wageningen University & Research
This focus area maps the research infrastructures that underpin plant breeding across Europe, including plant genetic resources collections, genotyping and phenotyping facilities, field testing sites, data resources and other specialized facilities.
Funding landscape overview
Leads: Aarhus University and the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO)
This focus area provides a comprehensive overview of the funding landscape for plant breeding research and innovation at European, national and regional levels. It examines funding sources and financial models across different breeding goals, crops, production systems and approaches, helping to identify opportunities for more coordinated, long-term investment.
Stakeholder engagement and network development
Leads: European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) and the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO)
Stakeholders are at the heart of COLiBRI. This focus area coordinates engagement activities across the project, ensuring that researchers, breeders, farmers, policymakers, funders and other actors contribute to the project's analyses and recommendations. It also lays the foundations for a future European plant breeding R&I network.
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Development of the European roadmap and implementation plan
Lead: Plants for the Future (Plant ETP)
Building on the evidence generated throughout the project, this focus area develops COLiBRI's flagship output: the European Roadmap for Plant Breeding Research and Innovation. Together with an implementation plan, it will define shared priorities and provide strategic guidance for future collaboration, investment and governance.
Communication, dissemination and knowledge valorization
Leads: Euroseeds, the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS) and Plants for the Future (Plant ETP)
This focus area covers COLiBRI's communication and dissemination activities: raising awareness and engaging stakeholders throughout the project, and ensuring its results are widely shared and translated into practical knowledge through targeted dissemination.
Project coordination (JKI)
Lead: Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)
This focus area oversees the coordination and management of COLiBRI, ensuring the effective implementation of project activities, timely delivery of results and smooth collaboration across the consortium.
Coordinated research advancing
COLiBRI is laying the foundation for public and private plant breeding research to align around shared EU priorities, guided by its roadmap and implementation plan.
Foundational network emerging
COLiBRI is laying the foundation for a lasting, EU-wide network for plant breeding research and innovation.
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