Recalibrating R&D Focus Through Global Innovation Mapping in Agri-Biotech

Client Background 

The client is a global agribusiness with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. It actively invests in next-generation crop improvement technologies and manages a multi-country R&D portfolio spanning microbial solutions and gene-editing platforms. The organization was looking for sharper external visibility into where and how agri-biotech innovation was progressing to guide long-term R&D funding decisions. 

Client’s Challenge 

The client needed a structured view of global innovation activity across microbial treatments and gene-editing techniques in agriculture. Their internal R&D reviews required timely and accurate updates on emerging technologies, but existing tracking mechanisms lacked breadth and detail. Without real-time visibility into the global innovation landscape, the risk of misaligned investments and missed early opportunities was increasing. They approached Mordor Intelligence to support their portfolio review process with structured external intelligence, aligned to their decision timelines. 

How Mordor Intelligence Helped 

• Mapped Cross-Sector Innovation Pipelines: We tracked research and development activity across academic, public-private, and commercial trials globally, identifying where momentum was building in microbial and gene-editing technologies. 
• Analyzed Global Patent Activity: Mordor Intelligence examined five years of patent filings related to crop resilience and improvement, helping spotlight innovation hotspots and underexplored geographies. 
• Assessed Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs): Expert interviews and milestone tracking enabled us to score technologies by readiness and assess maturity across multiple innovation clusters. 
• Delivered Timeline-Aligned Updates: Findings were packaged into quarterly briefing decks, synchronized with the client's internal portfolio review cycles to enable timely course correction. 

Key Findings 

• Southeast Asia emerged as a growing hub for microbial research, with significant patent activity and trial outputs.
• Several technologies in gene editing were advancing faster than internally estimated, especially in public-private pipelines.
• The client's internal tracking had missed progress in mid-stage TRL innovations with near-term commercialization potential. 

Our Industry Coverage 

Mordor Intelligence has supported innovation-focused clients across agri-biotech, crop protection, and seed technology with tailored research solutions. We have delivered 200+ custom studies for global agribusinesses, research consortia, and technology investors. Our services in this space include: 

• Technology Scouting: Identifying and evaluating emerging biotech and agri-input innovations across global academic and commercial ecosystems.
• Patent Analysis: Mapping innovation intensity, white spaces, and IP trends in crop protection and genetic technologies.
• Opportunity Assessment: Evaluating market potential and commercialization viability of early and mid-stage agri-biotech platforms.
• Feasibility Analysis: Supporting go/no-go decisions on new technology investments through multi-parameter validation.
• Surveys, FGDs, and Primary Research Fieldwork: Engaging experts and on-ground stakeholders to verify R&D trends and uncover practical implementation gaps.