Summary report opening day

The 4^th EPSO Conference was opened on behalf of EPSO by:

Karin Metzlaff (L) - Executive Director of the European Plant Science Organisation

Hélène Lucas (R) - Head of Genetics and Plant Breeding division, INRA, France

The 4^th EPSO Conference was opened on behalf of France by:

André Le Bivic (L) - Deputy Scientific Director, Department of Life Sciences, CNRS

François Houllier (R) - Scientific Director for Plant and Plant Products, INRA

Keynote address “What do we need to improve crop faster and cheaper?”

Richard B. Flavell - Chief Scientific Officer of Ceres, Inc.

Session “Plant Science in Europe – Science Policy”
Chair: Wilhelm Gruissem, Zürich, CH

1. Timothy Hall - European Commission, Acting Director of Directorate Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology, DG Research
"The knowledge-based bio-economy from a “plant” perspective"

2. Babis Savakis - Senior Advisor to the President of the European Research Council (ERC)
A benchmark for frontier research funding in Europe

3. Wilhelm Gruissem - President of European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO)
"Plant science in Europe – Breaking new ground"

2. Mike Gale -  Member of the CGIAR Science Council
"Grain for food – the breeding challenge"