JUNE 2018 SEEDWORLD.COM / 53 MARKING FLAGS & MARKING PRODUCTS FIELD FLAGS & PLOT SIGNS Interested? We encourage you to give us a call! 1-800-942-5816 Want to see more? Visit our website! blackburnflag.com Blackburn Mfg. Co. PO Box 86 Neligh, NE 68756 Service Tags Service Stickers Field Decals Field Flags Dealer Signs advances in IT have created new possibilities. As UPOV started to explore such an approach, we received a significant number of enthusiastic responses from breeders and PVP offices. SW: How were breeders involved in the development? BR: Breeders have been involved since Day 1. We got support from breeding companies and regional and international organi- zations representing breeders. Their feedback on the propos- als and their intensive testing of the prototypes were essential. Within UPOV, we created a working group of UPOV and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) experts to develop a functioning tool using an agile approach, where every step had to be tested and approved by users before moving to the next step. This was key to ensuring that the IT project would succeed. We were also lucky to have on board very competent, knowl- edgeable experts bringing with them a desire to quickly deliver a usable tool in a complex environment with a lot of technical aspects that needed to be addressed in a very pragmatic way. We had to analyze business requirements and meet technical constraints, such as security, data confidentiality, data structure and transfer. Some of the key elements required included having an easy way to securely transfer application data, using an online platform with multilingual features. After three years of development and testing in which breed- ers had the opportunity to provide input throughout the entire process, this unique international and multistakeholder team released a functioning tool at beginning of 2017, starting with a limited number of crops and countries. SW: Why use UPOV PRISMA? BR: UPOV PRISMA allows breeders to make applications through an online tool that has multiple functionalities, such as different languages and the ability to navigate and edit forms. For countries that have not yet developed an online applica- tion, it is particularly relevant. This should incentivize countries to develop an online application, as UPOV PRISMA provides an inter- national platform and exposure, in line with users’ expectations. The tool increases breeders’ efficiency because they can easily access the latest application forms of participating UPOV members. Forms can be accessed anytime from anywhere; they simply need to select the crop and the country in which they want to make an application. As of today, breeders can select from a list of 22 countries and one region from around the world for all genera and species (when accepted by the authority). Countries include: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, European Union, France, Georgia, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United States and Uruguay. At the international level, the system becomes very attractive because it encourages applications in various countries across the globe. Thanks to UPOV PRISMA, it is now easy for any type of breeder, whether individual, small or large companies, public institutes or universities, to make an application not only in their own country but also abroad. For example, a breeder in Canada could first use UPOV PRISMA to submit an application to protect their variety in