An economic assessment of genomics research and development initiative projects in forestry.
2016
Porth, I. | Bull, G. Q. | Cool, J. | Gelinas, N. | Griess, V. C.
The field of forest genomics is rapidly expanding, and many new potential uses of the genetic information gained are being developed. Some of these uses are primarily economic in nature, such as increasing the growth rate of trees and increasing yields for woody biomass, or producing trees with more desirable physiological or wood characteristics. Other uses are additionally advantageous to ecological or social goals, such as pest resistant trees that can withstand the effects of insects or diseases. Yet, to date, no forest products company in Canada has embraced forest genomics into mainstream business activity. This could be due to a number of factors: the lack of familiarity with genomics tools, the lack of expertise to assess genomics within the industry, the costs of applying genomics techniques in tree breeding, the lack of evidence of industrial benefits and the lack of commercialization potential. Here, we conducted an economic assessment of seven forest genomics research projects in Canada, including value judgements on the potential of commercialization and research application. The outcome of our work allowed us to (1) categorize the projects by type including the description of the economic frameworks, (2) undertake an economic assessment of each of these projects, using qualitative and quantitative (if available) information and (3) provide advice and a value judgement on the necessary micro-level economic conditions for application and commercial success.
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