Under the CGIAR Genetic Innovation (GI) Science Group, BRS aims to unify modern breeding practices, technologies, and analytics to enable data-driven breeding in CGIAR Centers. BRS transitions from being an initiative to a formal service in 2024, with four (4) key units: Global Shared Services, Business Process Management, Breeding Analytics, and Digital Solutions.
Dr. Alwee co-leads BRS with one of IRRI’s Senior Scientist, Ng Eng Hwa. They are joined by the rest of the leadership team: Gustavo Teixeira for the Global Shared Services unit and Andre Embersics for Digital Solutions, where EBS is situated.
The meeting also provided the opportunity to share news of the hosting services agreement between GI and IRRI, where BRS and IRRI’s Rice Breeding Innovations (RBI) department partner to scale and improve the services available for all Centers and all crops.
Ng Eng Hwa acknowledges that “…the signing of the hosting arrangement with IRRI is really a very significant milestone for us and actually for One CGIAR as well. This is really the original spirit of One CG[IAR]—to have well-incubated activities and work delivered to the Centers,”
The collaboration also promises more efficiency with reduced transactional costs and better operational structures.
“We want to have better bang for your buck with every research funding that comes to us,” Dr. Alwee shared.
Reporting lines, implementation teams, and structures were further elaborated in the meeting.
This year, BRS eyes to integrate with breeding programs and National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES), establish quality culture through Quality Management System (QMS), and pilot a business model for EBS.
