english

Ruud Scheffer - consulting and project management - focuses on six fields:

1 Project management and initiating projects
2 Quality management (ISO, ESTA, ISTA, NAL, GSPP)
3 Biological crop protection and growth improvement
4 Crop protection and seeds (seed treatments, seed coatings)
5 Biosafety (micro-organisms, plant pathogens, transgenes)
6 Seed-borne diseases and development of reliable tests

1 Project management and initiating projects
Extensive experience in initiating projects, acquiring funds and creating effective structures to get the desired results on time

Realizing project objectives in a multicultural environment is a key competence. Two major examples are: (i) project management for the international implementation of a quality management system according to ISO 9001 in combination with the international rollout of logistic and financial software; (ii) member of the project management and business expert in the integration of a seed company into another company with migration to SAP as the most visible target.
For R&D projects fundraising often is critical: experience was gained with the EU (ECLAIR and Biotechnology programs), Dutch government, the Netherlands' Science foundation and the Technology foundation, and, during my period with Syngenta/Novartis, internally. International projects like those supported by the EU and internal industry projects united research and development groups from different countries with one mission: to realize the project objectives.

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2 Quality management (ISO, ESTA, ISTA, NAL, GSPP)
Support for implementation and adaptations of quality management systems

The most recent main effort is development of ESTA, a quality assurance system for seed treatment and treated seed. Other efforts were (i) trainings on ISO 9001 and supporting implementation in 10 countries; (ii) Defining and streamlining processes as a prerequisite for ISO certification and logistical software implementation (especially using the IDEF0 model); (iii) Support for a laboratory ISO 17025 accreditation project and (iv) Support for quality assurance systems aiming at integration of the chain that starts with seed (like GSPP).
In the period 2000-2002, deeply involved in the NAL accreditation of the quality laboratories of Syngenta Seeds in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands. These laboratories test vegetable and flower seeds for germination and the percentage of useable plants, freedom of seed-borne diseases, purity and trueness-to-type. The NAL conditions were brought in line with the new ISO standard in 2001. As Syngenta made the choice to certify the entire (European) vegetable seed company according to ISO9001, all ISO and NAL adaptations and its implementation were combined. Representative of Syngenta in the NAL Expert Committee and chairman of the Committee in 2002. In 2004-2009 several consultancy efforts to support NAL implementations. From 2008 to 2011 involved in a Plantum effort to increase international acceptance of NAL. This project also resulted in an effort to find options for better using the ISTA system in the horticultural seed industry.

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3 Biological crop protection and growth improvement
Support to development of 'biologicals', as specialty products or in combination with seeds or young plants

Research on biological crop protection within the University resulted in an effective biocontrol of Dutch elm disease, marketed by the BTL Bomendienst company. Within Syngenta (at the time still Sandoz, later Novartis) co-ordinator of the ECLAIR project 'Biological inoculants for seed/plant establishment'. Partner in several EU projects such as IMPACT en IMPACT II and a project in close collaboration with the group of Prof. Lugtenberg in Leiden. In 2005 author of an 'Expert Opinion' for the registration dossier of a biocontrol agent. In 2008 an article on Dutch elm disease was published in Plant Disease.

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4 Crop protection and seeds (seed treatments, seed coatings)
Consulting and support; dialogue with the crop protection industry, seed treatment and seed companies, tackling registration issues and lobbying

Expert on treatments with chemical and biological crop protection agents. As a research leader, later manager, within Syngenta over 12 years responsible for the development of vegetable and flower seed treatments. Member (1995-2003) of the Seed Treatment and Environment Committee (STEC) of the International Seed Federation ISF; co-author of several STEC publications like the brochure Seed Treatment.

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5 Biosafety (micro-organisms, plant pathogens, transgenes)
Consulting and support on establishing laboratories and quality assurance systems meeting or exceeding government demands

Former biosafety officer of Syngenta Seeds, co-author of the Novartis Biosafety Guidelines (written under the responsibility of Prof.Dr. H. Bachmayer). As biosafety officer for a number of years member of the local emergency management team and trained to act as spokesman.

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6 Seed-borne diseases and development of reliable tests
Advice on testing, in-house or outsourced

As chairman of the Technical Co-ordination Group (TCG) of the International Seed Health Initiative Vegetables (ISHI-Veg) directing towards reliable and generally accepted test methods in the period March 2001 - February 2004, and again from July 2007 - July 2009, . (ISHI-Veg is an international joint effort of seed companies and institutes. Since 2001 ISHI-Veg has worked under the umbrella of ISF.)

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