GrapeBreed4IPM

About the Project

Research Area

Innovation and Transformation Management

Management

Prof. Dr. Marc Dressler

Social Media

Instagram: @rebellares

Grant Program

Funded by the European Union (Grant No. 101.132.223)

Project Website

https://grapebreed4ipm.com/de/

Duration

April 2024 – March 2028

Project Number

XXX

Background and project objective

The EU also aims to reduce the intensive use of pesticides in viticulture. Fungus-resistant grape varieties (PIWIs) offer a way to reduce pesticide use and ease the burden on winemakers. The EU has commissioned researchers from France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Serbia—including viticultural institutes and wineries —with the GrapeBreed4IPM project to further develop disease-resistant grape varieties as well as the markets and consumer demand for PIWI wines.

Project Structure:

Research and Innovation Action (RIA)
7 work packages, 38 deliverables, 28 milestones

Current Survey

What is this about?

As part of the GrapeBreed4IPM research project, we are currently gauging sentiment across Europe regarding transformation in the wine industry. The focus is on new, hardy grape varieties, sustainability in viticulture, and future-proof production strategies.

Our current survey (PANEL 2.0) is aimed at wine experts, producers, and consumers alike. The goal is to identify trends, opportunities, and challenges through 2030 and to evaluate them collectively from various perspectives. With your help, we aim to gain a multifaceted understanding of the industry, science, and the market—as a foundation for an innovation-driven and resilient wine industry in Europe.

Take the survey

Project structure

Overcoming Traditions Together – Initiating Transformations
The Wine Campus and the Rural Area Service Center (DLR) Rhenish Palatinate play a coordinating role in the project (WP1) and ensure transparency across all seven work packages, as well as the scientific foundations within them. The Wine Campus’s research findings to date serve as the basis for international surveys. Sustainability, consumer expectations, and implementation challenges are assessed in a consistent manner across countries. Through empirical data, the project contributes to sustainable wine production in Europe and to system innovation that spans the value chain. Overcoming barriers and creating solutions with experts, thereby enabling cross-cutting learning and development.

Country-specific experts share their specialized knowledge to conduct a country-specific status quo analysis. Additionally, virtual meetings to exchange experiences are planned every six months, and newsletters will provide ongoing updates on the state of research beyond the activities of this work package. To shape the future of Piwi’s in a needs-oriented manner, an in-person Design Thinking workshop is planned for 2025, which will innovatively incorporate the expectations of all stakeholder groups. The regional teams will evaluate the current state of production and marketing in order to jointly define cross-national measures to increase the appeal of Piwi’s and the marketing success of wines with sustainability.

Further information:

https://www.horizont-europa.de/

Methodology

By experts for experts
Europe-wide integration of qualitative and quantitative research: expert panels, producer/consumer surveys, experiments, systematic analysis of success stories and best practice. Carrying out market analyses and research in order to compare the country-specific penetration of PIWI grape varieties and ensure the transfer of knowledge.