BASF, the world’s biggest chemical group, yesterday signed a cooperative agreement with the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology VIB, which will see BASF financing VIB-managed research on plants at the University of Ghent. The project, for which twenty people were recruited, is the VIB’s biggest agreement in the history of its plant biotechnology division.  The Plant Systems Biology division of the university will  research improved and accelerated plant growth in dry regions. “We will try to create plant types with an ability to yield more with less water. 70% of all sweet water goes to agriculture. This project will yield equal harvests with less water through genetically engineered crops. VIB is already a world leader in this field,” explains project leader, Dirk Inzé. This is not the first time BASF and VIB have partnered. Previously VIB researched plants separately, but now it plans to test a complex problem on about 50 different plants at the same time. BASF’s Plant Science division offers agricultural solutions and its activities include the development of improved crops. To this end the group is keen to explore new water-efficient crops and possible patents. VIB, on the other hand, is more set on publications and research results. Meanwhile this collaboration has strengthened Ghent’s reputation as a centre for plant biology, as not only is VIB involved here but also BASF in its own capacity. So too is rival Bayer present on the campus together with Devgen and a  number of smaller biotech companies. Of the 800 staff employed at the Ghent plant biotech campus, 270 work for VIB. According to Inzé, the return on investments of companies who have invested in VIB research is abundant. Today VIB earns 20% of its income from cooperation with the industry. Another participant in this plant biotech project is IWT, the Flemish Agency for Innovation through Science and Technology.