Guests from KWS traveled to see their colleagues in St. Louis and attend the Gateway Research Center ceremony.
Anniversary
10 years of
pioneering spirit
From a vision to an important part of our research landscape: At the beginning of June, the KWS Gateway Research Center (GRC) in St. Louis celebrated its 10th anniversary – a decade of scientific excellence and innovation!
Was it really just 10 years ago that the KWS Gateway Research Center (GRC) was inaugurated? A lot has happened since January 15, 2015: With their commitment and love for plant research, our colleagues in St. Louis have transformed a bold idea into an established research center in that time. This success has now been celebrated fittingly.
Before the official celebrations began on the afternoon of June 5, 2025, colleagues who had traveled to St. Louis met with GRC staffers for a joint lunch at the beautiful Missouri Botanical Garden. This gave everyone the opportunity to talk and discuss internally and make new contacts.
Speakers such as Hongwu Jia from the R&D management team talked about developments and visions in research.
The guests were given information on current developments during a guided tour by GRC employees.
In the early afternoon, the KWS guests were given an in-depth tour of the GRC, in which the center’s history, milestones and future projects were presented. At various demonstration stations, colleagues from St. Louis showed the latest developments in research at the GRC, from the discovery and validation of traits to modern breeding methods. The guests experienced first-hand how our scientists work with the latest technologies, for example in insect trait development, in protoplast transformation or in the greenhouse.
We would like to thank our colleagues, partners and supporters who have contributed so greatly to our success. This anniversary honors our achievements to date and reaffirms our continued commitment to innovative and forward-looking research.
Moving words at the ceremony
The festive highlight was the ceremony at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (DDPSC), where colleagues from KWS commemorated the anniversary – together with people from institutions and companies closely associated with the GRC. James Carrington, President and CEO of the DDPSC, opened the event with a welcoming speech, followed by moving words by our Spokesperson of the Executive Board Felix Büchting and by Thomas Ehrhardt and Hongwu Jia from the R&D management team. They looked back at how the GRC had developed and presented their vision for the future. Another highlight was the keynote by Mike DeCamp, Executive Chairman of Confluence Genetics, who spoke about the dynamic development of plant sciences and biotechnology in St. Louis.
At the subsequent get-together in a relaxed atmosphere, all the guests took the opportunity to network and toast the successes of the past 10 years. |
Official video
▶ Impressions from 10 years of the KWS Gateway Research Center
© KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 2025
