Objective
Palms are some of the most successfully traded plants, with numerous species sold for indoor, outdoors and as crops. The kentia palm (Howea forsteriana), is one of the most widely exported houseplants in the world and is worth over seven million euros per year in the Dutch horticultural industry alone. Wild kentias are only found on a 12km2 island in the middle of the Tasman Sea, Lord Howe Island (LHI). LHI is a unique ecosystem. It is the focus of the applicant's ERC Advanced Grant, who is using the kentia palms as a model to tackle 'Darwin's mystery of mysteries'. During our expeditions on LHI, we have also discovered a new mutant variety of the kentia palm: instead of having the typical dark green colouration, it has a bright red stem. Red-stemmed varieties of palms are known, but have had very limited commercialisation due to climatic restrictions: these palms are tropical species, requiring high humidity and temperature. In contrasts, kentias are very hardy and grow well under low light and cool temperatures, hence their immense success as decorative items across innumerable indoor public venues and households. In addition, red is an auspicious colour in Asia – and we know our new red kentia palm has tremendous horticulture potential. Building on our genetic research and experiments with these kentia palms, we propose to disentangle the biological underpinning of the red stem. In parallel, we will conduct a market research. Examining our IPR position and strategy, we will take the necessary steps to protect our variety, including its registration as Ornamental Crop to the Community Plant Variety Office. Finally, we will strengthen our links with various industries and private stakeholders to develop a business plan for commercialisation of red kentias
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology materials engineering colors
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2014-PoC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
SW7 2AZ London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.