Planning to expand the new knowledge fusion model: Spurring innovations for specialty crops

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: We propose to utilize a Research and Extension Planning Project that will eventuate a Regional Partnership for Innovation proposal based upon our previous successes in creation of New Knowledge Fusion, the process of bringing together people from disparate orientations to address and solve common problems. We focus on specialty crops and draw in technologies from engineering, microsystems, photonics, and medical sciences. We have developed New Knowledge Fusion in a three-year grant from NSF. Now ended, we want to take out process into specialty crops. The planning grant is needed because of the complex nature of the New Knowledge Fusion process which is upstream from research and technology development that directly impact Specialty Crops. We cannot predefine what the new technologies will be; the process creates interaction, networks, and collaborations. This type of early-stage technology development cannot rely upon traditional sources of funds. The planning process will identify alternative funding sources from businesses that see the downstream potential, economic development agencies that want to foster new and innovative technologies, and foundations that recognize the need for early-stage development of innovation. The planning process will also continue our Technology, Agriculture and Food Conference, proposed for mid-November, 2009. It will identify key challenges in the Specialty Crops, primarily fruits and vegetables, and will initiate the collaborations necessary to address those challenges. Additional objectives of the planning great are to develop baseline social (networks) and economic descriptors, develop a policy for handling intellectual property, and identify the regional scope of the project.