From September 29 to October 17, Digital Solutions delivered a comprehensive Train-the-Trainers program on the Enterprise Breeding System, equipping data managers across CGIAR centers with advanced EBS skills. Through hands-on activities and expert virtual coaching, participants gained the capability to train end-users and drive data-driven, digitally enabled breeding improvements in their programs.
IRRI’s participation in KALRO’s capacity-building program strengthened Kenya’s national rice research system by advancing technical and digital competencies. Through hands-on training in EBS, Bioflow, and modern breeding practices, the initiative empowered scientists, enhanced institutional collaboration, and reinforced the commitment to accelerating digitally enabled, efficient, and high-impact rice research across the country.
The International Potato Center (CIP) is taking a major step in CGIAR’s digital transformation by integrating its potato and sweet potato breeding data into the Enterprise Breeding System (EBS). As the first Roots, Tubers, and Bananas (RTB) crops fully managed within EBS, this milestone advances networked, data-driven breeding under CGIAR’s Breeding for Tomorrow vision. Through this integration, CIP enhances efficiency, transparency, and data stewardship, paving the way for faster development of climate-resilient, farmer- and consumer-preferred varieties while reinforcing CGIAR’s unified, secure, and sustainable breeding data ecosystem.
The first-ever Open Space gathering was conducted for the BR Digital Solutions team based in IRRI HQ on 30 May 2025. The session was facilitated by Jack Lagare, Solutions Enablement Lead, and Eugenia Tenorio, Software Platform Engineering Lead Specialist. Attended by 11 participants from various sub-teams, the session aimed to take the initial steps in building the ideal organizational culture.
Open Space is a unique, self-organized forum designed to foster open dialogue, shared learning, and collective ownership around the most pressing themes shaping our work today. With no set agenda beyond a common purpose, this gathering empowered every participant to contribute topics, exchange insights, and navigate discussions at their own pace—an embodiment of agility, inclusivity, and purpose-driven collaboration.
At the heart of our Open Space were critical conversations centered on:
Effective strategies for upskilling teams to meet evolving demands,
Defining and embodying the traits of a high-performing team, including leadership and communications.
The diverse perspectives shared reinforced a powerful realization: the ability of an organization to adapt, grow, and lead in the face of complexity lies in the hands of its people—and the strength of the conversations they’re willing to have.
Participants identified practical steps and ideas on how we can better support team members in acquiring new skills, communicate with greater clarity and empathy, and foster leadership at every level. Equally, we explored what truly defines a high-performing team: trust, shared accountability, purposeful communication, and a culture of continuous improvement.
This Open Space marks the beginning of a wider transformation journey—one that values participation over prescription, collaboration over control, and learning over hierarchy. It is not just an event, but a launchpad for strategic initiatives we will co-create moving forward.
We thank everyone who took part and contributed with such enthusiasm and insight. As we move ahead, let’s carry the spirit of Open Space into our daily work—building not only smarter strategies but stronger connections and a shared vision of excellence.