29-31 March 2026
Wageningen, the Netherlands
Wageningen, the Netherlands
The organisation keeps the right to make changes to the program at any time.
KeyGene, initiator of CropIB in 2003, is a research company that creates lasting value in crop improvement through technology innovation. Driven by its innovation power and strengthened by strategic partnerships, KeyGene is fully directed to transformative multidisciplinary research and generating a continuous stream of impactful innovations. Its research focuses on Data Acquisition and Analytics, Data Science, Systems Biology, Lead Generation, Novel Variation, and Cell & Tissue Technologies.
During the visit to KeyGene, the visitors will meet KeyGene researchers and see examples of KeyGene’s breakthrough technology innovations and research in labs, greenhouse and ‘in silico’.
Guided by this year’s theme - New Frontiers: exploring breakthroughs in technologies, talent, startups, and crops that will define the future of crop innovation - the first day of the conference brings together leading voices from across the global crop innovation landscape to explore how technology, regulation, intellectual property, and collaborative models are reshaping the future of agriculture.
Through a mix of keynotes, panel dialogue, and expert insights, the program highlights both the opportunities and challenges facing breeders, AgTech companies, investors, and policymakers in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.
This Sunday program offers a dynamic and forward-looking start to stepping into the new frontiers in crop innovation.
In this keynote, Hélène Guillot and Claudia Hallebach outline how the ACLP licensing platform is evolving to better serve the rapidly growing ecosystem of next to breeding companies, new AgTech companies that only develop crop traits. They will explain how standardized licensing, clear access pathways to patented traits, and a robust dispute‑resolution framework can reduce transaction costs, increase deal certainty, and speed trait deployment across the value chain. They will also explore how the emerging EU framework for NGTs may reshape expectations around exclusivity and responsible IP practices - and why participation in a licensing platform can help companies stay competitive while aligning with upcoming industry conduct requirements.
In this keynote, Tate Tischner and Andrew Zappia (Troutman Pepper Locke) will outline recent U.S. regulatory and IP developments affecting crop traits, germplasm, and emerging breeding technologies. They will highlight how shifts in oversight and evolving IP strategies influence market entry, partnerships, and protection pathways. Attention will be given to the implications for start‑ups and young companies seeking to navigate approvals, secure IP, and position themselves competitively in the U.S. crop‑innovation landscape.
This keynote session opens with a short introduction by An Michiels who also moderates a panel discussion on the new crop innovation ecosystem. The panel explores how innovation, shifting business models, and technology adoption are shaping the future of agriculture, and why successful agri ecosystems thrive on collaboration, shared knowledge, and the ability to rapidly turn ideas into scalable impact.
