Markets for biodiversity information products: real or imaginary?

Abstract

In the past decade, a large range of biodiversity information products and services has become available. Some were developed with EC subsidies, some with national funds, and others as initiatives of universities, research institutes or private persons. Few, if any, were developed in the ‘commercial world’ based on a business plan. Some sponsors and funders ask for exploitation and sustainability plans after the development phase or at the end of the project. The success of these depends on whether the products meet real demands and serve actual markets. Market potential is often misjudged or overestimated and many products are developed without a prior needs or market analysis. This negatively affects the sustainability for biodiversity information services. In this paper we review the marketing of some biodiversity information products in a commercial environment, to assess demands and size of the markets.