BioMatNet Item: Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme - Overview

Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme
Overview - 4. Sectors, Technology and Markets

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FAIR-CT98-4822 Commercial Success of the ECLAIR Programme

This report on the Commercial Success of ECLAIR Programme 1999 was produced in 1999 by CPL Scientific under contract FAIR-CT98-4822. The Project Summary and Project Reports are available in separate items.

Preface
Executive Summary
Overview
1. Introduction
2. Information Collection
3. Assessment of Commercial Success
4. Sectors, Technology and Markets
5. Industrial Participation
6. Impact of Science and Technology on Commercial Development
7. Political and Legislative Environment
8. ECLAIR in the Context of European Research and Development
9. Conclusions

Overview

4. Sectors, Technology and Markets

The range of problems addressed, market sectors of the participants and diversity within these sectors was large, as were the technologies under investigation. Technologies ranged from those with longer term horizons such as plant breeding, through those that would require testing and registration prior to reaching the market place, to electronic instruments where such time or legal restrictions did not apply. The various project objectives varied in the unit value, potential market and opportunities (new product for new market, new product replacing existing product, new raw material to replace existing [fossil] raw material). Those products being sold now are listed in the Table 5, which also shows the original affiliation of the industrial partner that was expected to benefit from commercialization, as well as the current owner of the intellectual property. This Table also includes those products regarded as near market. Table 6 summarises those projects that are currently at the trial, pilot scale or prototype stage.

Table 5. Projects that led to products

Project	Technology	Product	Status and comments
AGRE-0002	Fermentation	Beneficial nematodes	Led to Microbio producing Nemasys-H. Now major supplier with over 90% of worldwide market.
AGRE-0003	Genetically modified (transgenic) plants	Plants with insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis	After first demonstration of Bt protein in transgenic plants (prior to ECLAIR), work on potatoes and genetics of Bt led to transgenic maize developed by them and others to worldwide markets and/or controversy.
AGRE-0006	Fermentation by Alcaligenes eutrophus	Biodegradable plastic	Developed as Biopol, taken to the to the market place, but price restricted market size.
AGRE-0009	Encapsulation	Oral vaccines for fish	Coordinators, Agricultural Vaccines Ltd, developed products to market as AquaVac^TM Vibrio Oral, Pasteurella Oral, Furovac Oral, ERM Oral. Now world leader in fish health products, supplying 25 countries.
AGRE-0012	Fermentation	Lactic acid for bacteria as wine inoculants for malolactic fermentation	Coordinators Chr. Hansen developed freeze-dried cultures of L. oenos to market place, as Viniflora Oenos^TM. World's leading producer of lactic acid bacteria, the patented product is the preferred malolactic culture in all major wine producing regions.
AGRE-0013	Biological control within an Integrated Pest Management strategy for olives	Pheromones for use as lures and disruption of mating in Bacrocera oleae and Prays oleae	Agrisense-BCS, the commercial partner, developed six new or improved products (such as Polycore^TM SKL), as a joint venture with the University of Wales. Now the major supplier in the Mediterranean region for products for monitoring of olive pests.
AGRE-0014	Equipment and diagnostics	Laser-based scanner for detection of microbial contamination	The coordinator of the project, Chemunex, continued to finance development of the concept in collaboration with TTP (The Technology Partnership, UK) and brought ChemScan to market, resulting in sales (so far) of several million Euro, with further growth anticipated.
AGRE-0019	Beneficial bacteria	Soil inoculants for vegetables and flowers	This project participant has developed a line of products containing beneficial organisms. They have been involved in further EC-funded research that has also resulted in products.
AGRE-0038	Solid state fermentation	Hydrolytic enzymes, including those degrading plant carbohydrates.	The project started late within the ECLAIR programme and was transferred to AIR-CT92-0001, as a result of which Lyven (France) a subsidiary of the coordinator (Generale Sucriere) is now marketing a number of enzymes for the fruit juice, wine making, textile and animal feed industries.
AGRE-0046	Agronomics, technical studies and economics.	Novel oil seed crops, Crambe, Limnanthes, Dimorphotheca	Crambe, that produces a high erucic acid oil is now grown in small quantities by EU farmers while activities related to this crop continued to be funded under AIR and FAIR, to help increase yields and utilization.
AGRE-0052	Industrial processing, analytical equipment, genetic mapping techniques.	New process technology, analytical equipment, process models, protein separation techniques, genetic maps, product characterization.	Processes, equipment and breeding tools used in-house by the commercial partners. A prototype gluten analytical system was developed for use with a Perten analyser. Market is too small for production by an outside manufacturer, hence machines were built individually by most players in the EU starch industry. New wheat varieties are in field trials. Further work on wheat funded under FAIR.
AGRE-0060	Identification and propagation of grapes vines and fruit trees	Viral disease identification methods and production of certified healthy stock.	The coordinator, Vitro Hellas, established electrophoretic/PCR methods for identification of viral disease and produced virus free fruit stock and vines. Has become a major supplier in the Greek market, selling thousands of certified plants, also participating in further CAMAR and FAIR projects.
AGRE-0062	Biological control of greenhouse pests	Beneficial insects for control of whiteflies and mites.	Developed commercial strains of Phytoseiulus, Encarsia, Eretmocerus and Macrolophus.
AGRE-0067	Germplasm selection for elite trees	Improved chestnut and other hardwood trees.	Cultigar, one of the partners has commercialized the production of chestnut (Castanea sativa). They are contracted to produce some 50,000 chestnut trees per annum exclusively for the local administration. These will be released on a wider basis from 2000 onwards.
AGRE-0004	Electronic data capture and dissemination	Subcutaneous telemetric device, combining identification and monitoring.	Initial commercialization was hampered when a major commercial partner was bought out. The university coordinators (LQCAP, KU Leuven) maintained interest towards development of a bi-directional high-speed read-write transponder, with further funding under AIR and INNOVATION, with commercial development by Indento Electronics B.V. (Netherlands).
AGRE-0007	Enzyme hydrolysis and chemical modification of root crops	D-galacturonic acid and derivatives as surfactants and other industrial chemicals	Procedures developed by the coordinator (ARD, France) have been developed further in collaboration with a potential end-user (Ecover Products NV, Belgium), to formulate surfactants. Increased production, over the 100 kg scale achieved during ECLAIR, will arise from a 1999 pilot plant part funded by FAIR, with anticipated marketing in 2000.
AGRE-0010	Chemical derivatives of rapeseed oils.	Lubricants, (leather working) emulsifiers, spinning oils and metal working fluids	Hispano Quimica has developed products for leather processing, Robbe has supplied potential customers with a range of oleochemical derivatives for evaluation. Participants in the ECLAIR project have participated in a number of other projects funded by AIR and FAIR.
AGRE-0021	Plant genetic engineering	Modification of the lignin level in trees.	At the end of the project, the principle was established, with trials under way and out-licensing agreements, based on Zeneca patents, negotiated for trees with improved pulping qualities.
AGRE-0022	Seaweed processing	Liquid fertilizer	Trials of the seaweed-based liquid fertilizer, showed promise for the organic and horticultural sectors. Commercial progress was hampered by changes in policies and acquisition of original commercial partners (see Table 9). It is anticipated that a product range, manufactured by a newly established company, will be launched in autumn 1999.
AGRE-0050	Plant fibre processing and reinforcing of plastics	Car body parts made with glass fibre substitutes	Fiat has produced prototype car parts. Further work has been carried out by other groups funded under FAIR, while a number of Mercedes cars in current production contain parts made in this way.
AGRE-0064	Fermentation	Starter cultures, new strains of lactic acid bacteria..	Some strains have been used in the production of artisanal cheese. A bacteriocin effective against mastitis in cows has been patented, this is under development and should be ready for registration by 2000. A new starter culture has been commercialised.

Table 6. Projects that reached pilot scale, prototypes or trials

Project	Technology	Product	Status and comments
AGRE-0057	Mechanical harvesting and logging	De-barked wood from coppice for pulping, at lower cost	Several prototype de-barkers were produced and used by some participants. Benefits of mechanical, over hand, harvesting were only seen for dense stands. Interest in short rotation forestry changed in some countries and organisations restructured.
AGRE-0015	Plant genetic engineering	Fruit modified for control of ethylene activity.	The mechanisms of control were established and genetically modified melons produced. Continued as a demonstration project under FAIR, this includes product trials and investigations of the public acceptance of genetically modified fruit.
AGRE-0044	Thermo-mechnical pulping	Pulps from straw for paper making	Complete chain from field to pulp investigated and shown effective for production of continuous steam exploded pulp at pilot plant level. This was incorporated with wood pulp in paper making trials. Straw pulp was acceptable, but conferred no benefit that encouraged the commercial partner to make the investment required for full-scale production.
AGRE-0058	Enzyme treatments and super-critical fluid extraction, analytical methods and waste treatment	Juice, fruit preparations, fragrances and flavours as well as effluent treatment processes.	New essences (colours and flavours) were produced, some problems were encountered with processes developed that did not match EU food legislation. Activities continued with the same coordinator under AIR, to produce clarified acidulants, anthocyanins and essential oils. A FAIR network on super critical extraction was established.
AGRE-0061	Complete processing chain for whole crop cereals and vegetable oil seeds.	Wide range of fractional products, including fibres, vegetable oils, and phytochemical extracts.	The whole crop biorefinery concept developed through the Bioraf organisation (Denmark) has received recognition outside the EU, in less developed regions, where demonstration projects have been initiated. Work continued with national and EU funding, with a focus on added value, novel products, including biocides, with Bioraf participating in three FAIR projects.
AGRE-0063	High temperature fermentation	Bioethanol	Various partial processes of thermophilic fermentation, using hydrolysates from agricultural wastes, were demonstrated. However, instability in the mutant strain of bacteria used limited application as a commercial process.
AGRE-0001	Plant genetic engineering	Potato cultivars suited for producing chips for the snack industry, with reduced browning following storage	A number of transformed lines of potatoes were produced. Since then further work has resulted in some 30 lines in field trials in 1998, that underwent storage trials through 1999. Full commercial development of the most favoured lines may take another five years, with protection through breeder's rights.
AGRE-0005	Plant genetic engineering	Introduction of novel anti-fungal proteins	The required proteins were identified, classified, isolated, cloned and put into tobacco plants, resulting in increased resistance to Alteneria. Patents were obtained and efficacy trials continue. Project continued under AIR, as well as in-house by the commercial partner (Zeneca).
AGRE-0008	Microbial genetic engineering	Viral epitopes as vaccines for pig respiratory disease	The project produced the viral epitopes, but vaccination with these was not satisfactory, or was not of economic importance. Work continued in France, with national funding, resulting in a more promising product for vaccination against an enterotoxin causing diarrhoea in animals and possibly humans.
AGRE-0011	Fermentation to produce a rhamnose polysaccharide	Synthesis of a strawberry flavour	The project resulted in identification of a strain of Klebsiella, capable of producing an exo-polysaccharide containing 50% rhamnose. There were plans to optimize the process at industrial scale. However, changes in market conditions meant that the product could not compete in price with that from traditional source. Research changed direction following transfer to the cosmetics company Solabia.
AGRE-0017	In vitro plant propagation	Novel disposable products	The plant propagation containers were produced and used in trials by two companies for a year and their performance compared with conventional products. The net cost-benefit was insufficient to encourage plant propagation companies to adopt the new materials and change established working practice.
AGRE-0018	In vitro animal production	Frozen bovine embryos	The process for producing one week old frozen embryos from bovine ovaries collected from abattoirs was established. The concept was not helped by regulations introduced to control BSE. Further research and trials were carried out and the product marketed but problems were encountered, while other competing approaches reached the market place
AGRE-0019	Fermentation and plant propagation	Biological inoculants for improving plant performance.	Strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens were incorporated into radish seed coatings and test marketed for two years and shown to protect against Fusarium wilt. The overall perceived cost-benefits were not sufficient to gain acceptance by the potential users. Biotechnology and FAIR have funded further studies/research in this area, with other participants.
AGRE-0020	Recombinant protein production	Fish growth hormone for oral application.	A fish growth hormone effective in salmonids was produced. Trials indicated some problems with protein denaturation, particle distribution and release with encapsulated protein. The project reached the point of producing an injectable protein. However, adverse public reaction to use of growth hormones resulted in the activity being curtailed. The commercial partner stopped working on fish.
AGRE-0051	Conventional and transgenic plant breeding	Seeds of chickpea resistant to blight and wilt.	Further work has been funded in collaboration with ICARDA (International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas) to develop methods of integrated disease management. In addition related work has developed under AIR and FAIR.
AGRE-0039	Oil seed plant production and processing of vegetable oils	Vegetable oils from conventional oil crops with novel compositions, as well as development of novel vegetable oil crops, and chemicals derived from these sources.	Conventional breeding and genetic manipulation resulted in rapeseed and sunflower oils enhanced for industrial use (high erucic and/or oleic acid), while the agricultural potential of Coriander was established. Some plants are in trials and registered varieties may be available in 3 to 5 years. The chemical partner (Henkel) patented a number of processes. The commercial plant breeders involved in this project have incorporated the lines and results into their commercial development programmes. Marketing of products awaits availability of these oils in sufficient quantity. Further related work was funded under AIR and FAIR.

Table 5 and Table 6 cover most of the projects, but do not include the following projects where the work was completed, but no further development has been recorded. One of these ( AGRE-0041) aimed to improve silage inoculants. The industrial partner had a product (that is still marketed), while the results of the research (that aimed to produce improved strains by selection and/or genetic manipulation), did not in fact generate enough improvement to warrant substitution of the existing product competing with some 60 other products. Project AGRE-0016 hoped to correlate milling characteristics of maize with varieties and growing conditions. This correlation was not found and the work stopped. Other projects continued to be researched with national funds ( AGRE-0029, sunflower processing), or through AIR ( AGRE-0047, bio-pulping) or FAIR ( AGRE-0049, animal vaccines; AGRE-0048, grain legumes). In fact some of the projects, as indicated in the Tables above, also received further national, international and/or EC funding for research (AIR) development (e.g. VALUE, INNOVATION) or demonstration (FAIR) as they moved towards the market place.

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Overview