b'Are you interested or do you w\x07nt to coll\x07bor\x07te in one of the Living L\x07bs? See the website for more inform\x07tion \x07nd cont\x07ct det\x07ils:seedshift.nlLiving Labs mark a shift in seed productionTo get ready for the future, Rijk Zwaaninnovation on certain topics. To break thisor the need to reduce carbon emissions. is keen to lead the way in improving thestalemate, we decided to see whetherIt requires to change the way we grow sustainability of seed production.we could use our strengths and work onour crops, and we need new knowledge, To stimulate open innovation, the fruitdevelopment together, says Harro deexperience, technology and collaboration. and vegetable breeding company tookMoorHanssens, Specialist ProductionBut innovation in sustainability is not just the initiative to collaborate with third- Development at Rijk Zwaan.about technology, says Harro. I believe party seed producers and hence alsoknowledge about the role of biodiversity some of Rijk Zwaans competitors to startThis led to Rijk Zwaan taking the initiative forand developments in technology can a Field Lab. The response has been verya fi eld lab to speed up development work.reinforce each other, and we need to enthusiastic and thus we launched FieldHarro: We understand and accept thatembrace and combine both. Lab Seed Shift together. And now, thethe approach and setup is never perfect, fi rst trials are already underway.and we need to continuously learn andCollaboration speeds up the process These initial Living Labs are exploring thesteer as we go along. In the meantime, weMake sure you allocate time and eff ort topics of healthy soil, herbicide-free weedperform the trials together and openlyfor the topics you fi nd important. Dont control, and optimising fertilisation. share ideas, results and insights. This createsbe afraid to put them on the agenda, even an environment of quick learning, andthough daily work just rushes on. Dare to Speed of innovation the development of knowledge and skillsthink diff erent, emphasises Harro. Despite In seed production, especially outdoors,that are directly applicable in the fi eld.todays modern technology, seed-related we often use third-party seed producers.Needless to say, to ensure that we can allinnovation cant be rushed. Sometimes Those companies also work with ourwork together openly, we only focus on non- you need to largely let or help nature do competitors, so many of the advancementscompetitive subjects. its work, and maybe just give it a little hand we achieve together with those producerswith technology. But we can speed up the will eventually also be used for the benefi tInnovation in sustainability innovation process by starting now and of our competitors. At the same time,One thing that all the partners have inworking together. We see the fi eld lab as an seed producers/farmers are highly skilledcommon is the need to tackle issues relatedideal setup to achieve this, he concludes.in cultivation but do not always have theto sustainability. Coping with more extreme same innovative power as the breedingweather conditions, stricter legislation on companies. This whole situation hamperspesticides, changing disease pressure, RZN-seedworld-wt5-240916.indd 3 16/09/2024 13:46'