Wageningen, The Netherlands
June 20, 2024
This year marks the 35th anniversary of KeyGene, a significant achievement! I am honored to build upon the work of those who have achieved this milestone alongside the dedicated and talented individuals that make up our team. The narrative of KeyGene’s 35-year history is punctuated with technological landmarks that have not only shaped our company but also contributed to the industry at large.
It’s time to celebrate our history of technology innovation for crop improvement, along with the collaborative ecosystem that made it possible.
Innovation does not happen in a vacuum but flourishes through collaboration – a principle that has always been fundamental to KeyGene’s approach. Our long-term partnerships, first and foremost those with our shareholders Enza Zaden, Limagrain Vegetable Seeds, Rijk Zwaan, and Takii & Company, stand as a testament to this belief. Our shared commitment to innovation, risk-taking, lateral thinking, and resilience has been crucial in advancing the field of plant breeding.
But do not just take my word for it. In this newsletter, we have gathered reflections from an array of contributors who have been instrumental in our successes. Their perspectives shine a light on KeyGene’s impact over the past 35 years. A special thank you to our shareholders and partners – Ingredion, Oxford Nanopore, MASL, Lincoln University, and all others – who have graciously shared their stories and have been integral to our collaborative efforts.
You will find the links to the interviews below.
Let us celebrate the past 35 years of successful collaborative technology innovation and crop improvement.
On to the next 35!
Roeland van Ham, CEO of KeyGene
The 7 interviews celebrating KeyGene’s 35th anniversary
> Reflections by our shareholders: Enza Zaden, Rijk Zwaan, Limagrain Vegetable Seeds and Takii:
“We share the fundamental knowledge that KeyGene generates”
An interview with Jaap Mazereeuw, CEO of Enza Zaden, one of KeyGene’s Founding Fathers, completed with quotes by other shareholder representatives
> Roeland van Ham, KeyGene:
“Lateral thinking is in our DNA”
Interview with Roeland van Ham, CEO of KeyGene
> Interview with Lora Kilgore-Norquest, Ingredion:
“KeyGene helps us to quickly address the consumers’ needs”
> Interview with Chris Winefield, Lincoln University New Zealand:
“A realistic view on a shared labor of love”
> Interview with Daniel Fordham, Oxford Nanopore Technologies:
“KeyGene helped us to democratise sequencing technology”
> Interview with Ponnusamy Umashankar, Mahindra Agri Solutions Ltd.:
“Speed and precision are the passion and purpose of our collaboration”
> Interview with Jeroen Stuurman, KeyGene:
“It’s not all about genes in our research”
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