In February 2025, HelEx hosted a visit from Takii Seeds focused on the project’s genetic approach to sunflower breeding. Takii is a globally active seed company with strong expertise in horticultural and field crops, and its interest in HelEx illustrates the international reach of the project.
Nicolas Langlade (INRAE) walked the visitors through the scientific strategy of HelEx, including the use of wild genetic resources, phenotyping platforms and multi-environment trials to build a robust pipeline for sunflower improvement under climate stress.
For HelEx, engaging directly with international seed companies contributes to building awareness of European work on climate-resilient sunflower and opens the door to future collaborations well beyond the lifetime of the project.
