RUSSIA OPENS THE FIRST TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTRE IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE

Deputy Head of FAS Andrey Tsyganov informed about the progress of executing and the results of an Order issued to “Bayer”

On 11 October 2018 the “Golden Autumn-2018” Russian Agro-Industrial Exhibition had a section on “Selection in Russia:  shaping systemic development”.

One of the most high-profile events in 2018 was FAS order on “Bayer/Monsanto” merger. Deputy Head of FAS Andrey Tsyganov explained the objectives of the order and FAS expectations.

Giving an example of considering Bayer/Monsanto” merger, Deputy Head of FAS highlighted new challenges for antimonopoly regulation, described transformation of the global agricultural market, where traditional selection is being replaced with biotechnologies of modern selection, end-to-end solutions - “seeds + plant protection agents”, and chemical companies are becoming the main players on the seed market.

“The meaning of the deal is not in seeds and plat protection agents”. It is in digital, accumulated information, and unique end-to-end solutions. Therefore, the essence of our joint efforts with “Bayer” was finding out such conditions, under which competition on Russian market will exist and develop”, said Andrey Tsyganov.

In accord with the order, “Bayer” shall ensure technological transfer of molecular selection means and germplasm necessary to develop high-yield seeds of agricultural crops with given properties. “Bayer” shall also provide non-discriminatory access to historic depersonalized aggregated data for digital farming. Execution of the requirements is controlled by an independent Technology Transfer Centre (TTC), formed on the basis of “High School of Economics” National Research University.

“Launching the Technology Transfer Centre is another step towards increasing accessibility of modern agro-technologies for the Russian agricultural sector. It is important that on TTC platform the leading experts of “Bayer” will transfer not only technologies but also the knowledge how to use them.  In the long run, it is the knowledge obtained that can serve as the basis for technological transformation of Russian agricultural-and-industrial complex: generating new solutions and implementing them in production of agricultural crops”, stressed Ives Piquet, Head of CIS CropScience, “Bayer”.

TTC will work on the four main areas: germplasm transfer of the key agricultural crops for Russia; molecular selection means transfer; establishing research-and-training centre for plant biotechnology; and access of digital farming solutions.

Technology transfer includes transferring germplasm of 70 lines of six key crops (maize, soya, rape – spring and winter, wheat – spring and winter), and educational events for Russian breeders in one of Bayer’s European research centres.

The second transfer area will be transfer molecular selection means for seeds of such crops as maize, soya, rape, wheat, tomato, cucumber and cabbage with up-to-date protocols of use. “Bayer” shall also provide expert support.

License receivers for Bayer’s genetic materials and molecular selection means will be able to use them for the purposes of research, development, selection, commercialization of technologies of hybrid and cultivars under own brand created as a result of transfer.

TTC will organize selection of potential recipients. The main criteria for project selection are: own valid selection programmes for at least one crop where germplasm and market technologies transferred by “Bayer” can be applied; possibility to use a laboratory for work with markers; practical work experience (no less than five years) in molecular breeding and building up big-data-based forecast models for the breeding purposes, etc.

“Bayer” shall also be involved in establishing a training centre for plant biotechnology. It will organize educational events on various biotechnologies and techniques. Russian scholars will be able to undergo training and subsequently transfer the knowledge obtained to specialists on biotechnologies, thus, creating a technology scaling effect in Russia.

The forth area of TTC work shall be digital farming. Particularly, access shall be provided to historic depersonalized aggregated data obtained from the data of Russian users of the platform of “Precision Planting” LLC.

TTC Director, Roman Kulikov commented: “High School of Economics actively develops competencies in agrarian technologies. Opening the Technology Transfer Centre of FAS and HSE is a logical stage in building up expertise in developing strategies and projects for Russian agrarian sector. HSE traditionally has an intensive cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and is involved in devising state programmes and projects for developing the agro-industrial complex in Russia. The objective of the project for modern technology transfer is to reinforce innovative potential of Russian companies in the fields of breeding and digital technologies. For HSE the experience of working in a consortium with “Bayer” is unique and it will help jointly perform local projects of state-of-the-art, world-class agrarian technologies”.