Emerging agriculture and aquaculture industries face barriers in accessing superior genetic material for improved productivity. These barriers can be commercial, regulatory, biosecurity, and knowledge based. This project will develop evidence-based strategies for 22 Australian emerging primary industries to access superior genetic material that supports improved productivity, profitability, and sustainability. In addition, detailed business cases will be developed for two opportune industries, and these will serve as additional guides for industries wishing to invest in genetic improvement technologies.

This collaborative public-private project between the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Griffith University, and Food Innovation Partners brings together 100 years of experience in plant and animal breeding and genetics, regulatory processes, intellectual property, and commercial business model analysis. In partnership with key stakeholders, this team will identify current and future needs of these industries that could be addressed with superior genetics. It will build and synthesise new knowledge about opportunities, challenges, resources, and legal requirements for accessing, using, protecting, and distributing conventional breeding and emerging genetic and genomic technologies for developing superior genetic varieties. Emerging technologies will include marker-based or whole genome selection, gene editing and gene modification.

Drawing on this knowledge, an evidence-based decision-making framework will be developed to evaluate opportunities for accessing and developing superior genetic material using conventional and newly developed technology for improved productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the target emerging industries. It will demonstrate how this framework can be applied to each of the target industries and recommend a strategic pathway for the protection and dissemination of improved genetic varieties. The project will culminate in a business case for two of the most opportune target industries, using a design-thinking approach to evaluate desirability, useability, feasibility, and viability to guide individual, or cross-industry, investment. The project’s new knowledge, framework, and business case examples will be key tools for stakeholders to evaluate alternative options for accessing superior genetic material and make informed investment decisions in their emerging industries.