Objectives
COLiBRI aims to strengthen the European crop breeding research and innovation (R&I) ecosystem by bringing together stakeholders, identifying shared priorities and laying the foundations for long-term collaboration. The project pursues three closely connected objectives that together will support a more coordinated, efficient and strategic approach to plant breeding R&I across Europe.
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Objective 1
Engage and connect stakeholders
Crop breeding depends on collaboration across a wide range of actors, from plant genetic resources collections and researchers to breeders, farmers, industry, policymakers, funding organizations and end users.
COLiBRI will build an inclusive European stakeholder community that reflects the diversity of the crop breeding innovation ecosystem. Through consultations, workshops and targeted engagement activities, the project will ensure that different perspectives contribute to identifying needs, defining priorities and shaping future collaborative actions. By strengthening dialogue between public and private actors, COLiBRI will help develop a shared vision for European plant breeding research and innovation.
Learn more about our Stakeholder Community and Get involved.
Objective 2
Identify and analyze research priorities and innovation needs
A coordinated European breeding strategy requires a clear understanding of where investment and collaboration can have the greatest impact.
COLiBRI will analyze research priorities, technological bottlenecks, research infrastructure needs and funding landscapes across crops, traits, breeding approaches and production systems. The project will consider both established and emerging crops, conventional and organic farming systems, as well as enabling technologies such as high-throughput phenotyping and new genomic techniques (NGTs). It will also identify barriers to innovation and opportunities to improve access to infrastructures, technologies and long-term funding.
The evidence gathered through these activities will provide the knowledge base for the project's recommendations and long-term strategic planning.
Discover the project's Focus Areas.
Objective 3
Develop a European roadmap and collaboration framework for plant breeding R&I
The central outcome of COLiBRI is the development of a European Roadmap for plant breeding research and innovation. Drawing on stakeholder input and the analyses carried out throughout the project, the Roadmap will define shared priorities for future research, identify strategic actions and outline the investments needed to strengthen European crop breeding over the coming years.
To support its implementation, COLiBRI will also develop an implementation plan and propose a collaborative governance framework for a future European plant breeding R&I network and funding mechanism. Together, these outputs will provide a practical foundation for better coordination of research, funding and collaboration across Europe, helping to accelerate innovation and the development of crop varieties that support resilient and sustainable agriculture.
Read more about the Roadmap.
Working towards lasting impact
The three objectives are mutually reinforcing: stakeholder engagement informs the analysis of priorities and needs, while the resulting evidence underpins the Roadmap and collaboration framework. Together, these outputs will help align research agendas, strengthen cooperation across the European breeding community and support more strategic investment in plant breeding research and innovation.
Read more about the project's Impact