© hyeon/Adobe Stock HFFA Research GmbH examines how EMPHASIS creates value beyond science by strengthening skills, innovation, economic efficiency, and societal impact across Europe.
Plant phenotyping has become an essential part of modern agricultural research. It helps researchers and breeders better understand how plants respond to their environment and supports the development of crops that are more resilient, efficient, and better suited to a changing climate. Over the last two decades, Europe has invested heavily in phenotyping technologies and facilities.
One major step was the establishment of the pan-European Research Infrastructure EMPHASIS designed to make plant phenotyping more accessible and coordinated across Europe.
As EMPHASIS moves closer to becoming a fully operational European Research Infrastructure (ERIC), the question of its specific economic and societal values has become increasingly important.
To identify EMPHASIS’s contributions and future potential, our team carried out a socio‑economic impact assessment of EMPHASIS within the Horizon Europe project EMPHASIS‑GO.
We combined data‑driven analyses of publications, patents, start‑ups, and research funding with in‑depth interviews with stakeholders from research, industry, infrastructure management, and policy. This allowed us to move beyond abstract indicators and reflect the everyday experiences of people working with and around plant phenotyping infrastructures.
Our analysis looks at impacts across four main areas: human resources, economy and innovation, societal and environmental outcomes, and policy. Rather than focusing only on direct and measurable effects, we also consider longer‑term and less visible contributions, such as improved collaboration, better coordination at European level, and increased confidence among national communities when engaging with funders and ministries.
The assessment shows that EMPHASIS has already played an important role in bringing together a previously fragmented European phenotyping landscape. Through its predecessor projects and preparatory activities, it has helped build skills, connect infrastructures, improve data standards, and support cooperation across borders.
Plant phenotyping enabled through EMPHASIS contributes to more efficient research workflows, faster and more targeted breeding, and better understanding of how crops perform under stress conditions. These benefits matter not only for science, but also for long‑term goals such as climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and food security. Although many economic and societal impacts are still developing and difficult to quantify, stakeholders clearly see phenotyping as a strategic investment.
At the same time, the study points to challenges. EMPHASIS is not yet equally visible across Europe, collaboration with industry remains underexplored, and its added value is not always easy to explain outside the scientific community. Addressing these issues will be crucial as EMPHASIS transitions to full ERIC status.