The BIOCRAFT project, Crafting System Resilience – from a Holistic Biotech Approach to Smart Crops and Efficient Biomanufacturing, is officially launching this month as a EIC Pathfinder project under Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship research and innovation programme. Bringing together leading research organisations, technology providers and agricultural stakeholders from across Europe, the four-year initiative will develop climate-resilient potato and rice varieties and advance innovative plant-based biomanufacturing solutions to strengthen the sustainability, resilience and competitiveness of the European agri-food sector.

BIOCRAFT responds to one of Europe’s most pressing agricultural challenges: ensuring resilient and sustainable crop production in the face of climate change. With droughts, heatwaves, soil degradation, salinity and crop diseases becoming increasingly frequent, the project will combine biotechnology, artificial intelligence and crop science to help crops better withstand environmental and biological stresses.

Coordinated by Fraunhofer IME (Germany), BIOCRAFT brings together a multidisciplinary European consortium covering a total of four EU-member states: KPMG Portugal, SGS Portugal, IRIS Technology Solutions (Spain), Agrotecnio (Spain), SA.PI.SE. Società Agricola (Italy), ADV Arròs de Pals (Spain), and the Public University of Navarra (Spain). KWS Saat SE & Co. KGaA (Germany) will contribute as an associated partner.

“Climate change is creating urgent challenges for agricultural production and food security across Europe. Through BIOCRAFT, we are developing innovative solutions that will help crops better withstand environmental stresses while opening new opportunities for sustainable biomanufacturing,” said Prof. Stefan Schillberg, Project Coordinator at Fraunhofer IME.

Over a period of 48 months, the consortium will develop and validate a new generation of potato and rice varieties with enhanced resilience, productivity and nutritional value. The project will integrate advanced biotechnology, artificial intelligence, crop monitoring technologies and soil microbiome research to improve crop performance, strengthen stress tolerance and promote more efficient use of natural resources.

In parallel, BIOCRAFT will explore plant-based biomanufacturing approaches, positioning crops as sustainable biofactories for the production of high-value biomolecules. These activities are expected to support new opportunities for European biotechnology and contribute to the transition towards a more sustainable bioeconomy.

The project will also address the regulatory, environmental and societal dimensions of next-generation crop technologies, supporting their responsible development and future uptake across Europe. By strengthening the resilience, sustainability and competitiveness of the European agri-food sector, BIOCRAFT aims to contribute to Europe’s long-term food security and bioeconomy ambitions.

BIOCRAFT brings together leading European research organisations, technology providers, and agricultural stakeholders to develop climate-resilient potato and rice varieties. This project has received  3.8 million euro in funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101307230.