86
SME firms concluded that, while SMEs do not directly benefit from open innovation or from patenting in the same way as larger firms, they nevertheless profit from
alternative ways of protecting the intellectual property associated with their proprietary technologies (Brem et al. 2017).
Regardless, the proper management and availability of IPRs in a general sense
exert a positive influence on OI efforts.
3.6 Open Innovation Comes of Age in Crop Genetics
The expenses and complexities associated with the development of transgenic traits
have kept the development of GMO crops out of reach of most but for the largest
companies supplying large scale agriculture with maize and soybean seeds. Because
model plant systems were, by and large, unable to predict the effects of multigenic
traits affecting yield and other quantitatively inherited traits of importance to farmers, the seed industry relied on an innovation model that became increasingly closed
in areas such as transgenic trait development and predictive breeding. However,
with the recent consolidation of the industry and the resultant restructuring and
focus on product development, a compelling argument can be made that the next
decade will see a more open form of innovation, centered around early stage discovery. The phenomenon is not unlike what the pharma industry experienced over the
past two decades, with the integration of technologies developed by startups becoming their major source of innovation.
Large, medium, and small seed and plant breeding companies have much to gain
from embracing an open innovation model, due to the types of innovations which
will be needed by the farming community in the next decade or two and the cost of
developing these innovations. Firms in the precision farming sector, which rely on
the confluence of many disciplines from the high tech, data management, computer
vision, and agronomy sectors, will benefit as well.
The successful deployment of new technologies is dependent not only on farmer
adoption but also on the appropriate regulatory framework, which in turn is contingent on the acceptance of such technologies by consumers, the general public, and
society at large. Past experience with transgenic traits has shown that in the absence
of obtaining a social license to practice the new technologies, consumer acceptance
may be difficult or even impossible to obtain. This argues for the large developers
of genetics in commodity crops to make their technologies and know-how available
broadly to stimulate entities more focused on academic pursuits and the development of public goods to become early adopters and independent champions of such
technologies. For example, smaller fruit and vegetable seed companies and nonprofit organizations can harness CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and associated technologies to develop disease resistance traits creating the potential for more
sustainable, nutritious, and affordable products, for both developed and developing
M. L. Müller and H. Campos
SME firms concluded that, while SMEs do not directly benefit from open innovation or from patenting in the same way as larger firms, they nevertheless profit from
alternative ways of protecting the intellectual property associated with their proprietary technologies (Brem et al. 2017).
Regardless, the proper management and availability of IPRs in a general sense
exert a positive influence on OI efforts.
3.6 Open Innovation Comes of Age in Crop Genetics
The expenses and complexities associated with the development of transgenic traits
have kept the development of GMO crops out of reach of most but for the largest
companies supplying large scale agriculture with maize and soybean seeds. Because
model plant systems were, by and large, unable to predict the effects of multigenic
traits affecting yield and other quantitatively inherited traits of importance to farmers, the seed industry relied on an innovation model that became increasingly closed
in areas such as transgenic trait development and predictive breeding. However,
with the recent consolidation of the industry and the resultant restructuring and
focus on product development, a compelling argument can be made that the next
decade will see a more open form of innovation, centered around early stage discovery. The phenomenon is not unlike what the pharma industry experienced over the
past two decades, with the integration of technologies developed by startups becoming their major source of innovation.
Large, medium, and small seed and plant breeding companies have much to gain
from embracing an open innovation model, due to the types of innovations which
will be needed by the farming community in the next decade or two and the cost of
developing these innovations. Firms in the precision farming sector, which rely on
the confluence of many disciplines from the high tech, data management, computer
vision, and agronomy sectors, will benefit as well.
The successful deployment of new technologies is dependent not only on farmer
adoption but also on the appropriate regulatory framework, which in turn is contingent on the acceptance of such technologies by consumers, the general public, and
society at large. Past experience with transgenic traits has shown that in the absence
of obtaining a social license to practice the new technologies, consumer acceptance
may be difficult or even impossible to obtain. This argues for the large developers
of genetics in commodity crops to make their technologies and know-how available
broadly to stimulate entities more focused on academic pursuits and the development of public goods to become early adopters and independent champions of such
technologies. For example, smaller fruit and vegetable seed companies and nonprofit organizations can harness CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and associated technologies to develop disease resistance traits creating the potential for more
sustainable, nutritious, and affordable products, for both developed and developing
M. L. Müller and H. Campos