Open Innovation Combats Threat to New Zealand’s Kiwifruit Industry
PSA (pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae) is a bacterial disease that affects kiwifruit species. It carries no risk to human or animal health but can result in the death of vine species and is a huge threat to New Zealand’s billion-dollar kiwifruit industry.
Kiwifruit Vine Health a New Zealand-based organization set up to deal with the problem is now turning to open innovation to find ways of managing and combating the disease.
PSA attacks the vines, not the kiwifruit and it’s spread by animals, humans, windborne pollen, orchard tools and vehicles.
A Sunlive article discusses how in the early days of PSA research an oversight committee would review project proposals and allocate funding. The problem with this according to some industry insiders was that its burdensome infrastructure meant that decisions were a long time coming.
Combating Bacteria with an OI Approach
Today, an open innovation approach is favored and the scientific oversight committee is consulted less.
“These changes are no reflection on the experts chosen for the oversight committee,” said Zespri general manager of science and innovation Dr David Tanner.
“We just needed faster decisions on science project turnaround and signoff “
Welcoming Global Expertise
Dr. Tanner goes onto say that ideas and proposals are now openly being canvassed both within and outside New Zealand. More than one hundred projects have been undertaken involving local expertise and global knowledge providers.
Kiwifruit Vine Health continues to comb the world for concepts that will help to reduce and ultimately neutralize the negative impact that PSA has on the kiwifruit industry.
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