Strengthening Global Collaboration: Genebank Workshop

Our team recently joined genebanks from around the world in Morocco for an international workshop focused on advancing classification models. Participants from countries including Nigeria, Lebanon, India, the Philippines, and Mexico shared their results, exchanged insights, and explored new ways to strengthen global collaboration in plant genetic resource management.

Earlier this month, members of our team, CTO Karsten Hartelius and Software Engineer Christian Thyssen, travelled to Morocco to take part in an inspiring international workshop bringing together genebanks from across the world, including representatives from Morocco, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon, India, the Philippines, Mexico, Colombia and Peru.

The event served as a unique platform for sharing knowledge, strengthening collaborations, and advancing the use of technology in genebank operations. During the workshop, our specialists guided participants on how to further develop and refine their classification models, a crucial step in improving the efficiency and accuracy of seed characterization and data management.

Each genebank had the opportunity to present the results of the classification models they have developed so far. It was exciting to see how different institutions have adapted these models to their own crops, workflows, and research goals. The diversity of approaches and local challenges sparked rich discussions and valuable feedback sessions, helping everyone identify new directions for optimization and collaboration.

Beyond the technical sessions, the workshop was a true exchange of ideas and experiences, a reminder of how international cooperation can accelerate innovation in agriculture and biodiversity preservation.

We are proud to contribute and to support the global genebank community in building more consistent, data-driven classification systems that ultimately strengthen the conservation and use of plant genetic resources worldwide.