Interactions with European Industries

The research programme involved in the IMPACT project covers a number of key activities that are of major interest to European industry. In fact a number of European companies in the seed / agri-food / analytical / diagnostic sectors are formal partners in the IMPACT project. The demand for more 'environmentally friendly' processes for food production has created a strong demand for effective biofertilizers and biopesticides to reduce our dependence on traditional agri-chemicals in the food chain. Industries are aware of the potential that innovative biotechnology can offer in the development of new processes and products that will be kinder to the environment. The involvement of key industries in the IMPACT project provides the relevant commercial inputs to evaluate emerging developments and facilitate efficient technology transfer. The multidisciplinary nature of the IMPACT project ranges from molecular biology to agronomy and consequently is yielding a broad range of deliverables of industrial interest.

In a number of European countries the IMPACT experiments represent the first application of the regulatory laws concerning the release of genetically-modified microorganisms and the results emerging provide a valuable opportunity to the national competent authorities and industry to evaluate the operation of the EU Directive governing the release of genetically-modified microorganisms.

In addition to supporting the development of innovative and high technology in the field of microbial ecology and biosafety and environmental biotechnology, the IMPACT project provides a significant interface for the exchange and and transfer of information between research groups and industry in the different member states of the European Community. The potential is also available for more industries to liaise with the project through the formation of industrial platforms which the EU view as suitable instruments to create opportunities for technology transfer and for industrial exploitation of resources emerging from EU-sponsored projects.

Use of industrial fermenters in the large-scale production of microbial inoculants

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