Guelph, ON July 27, 2026 – Bioenterprise Canada and Agriculture UWindsor have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on advancing agricultural innovation, skills development, and sector growth.
The partnership will connect Agriculture UWindsor’s specialized technology expertise, research capabilities, and industry partnerships with Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine (The Engine), helping accelerate innovation and commercialization opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and agri-food businesses across Canada.
“Agriculture UWindsor brings a unique blend of research expertise, technology development, and strong industry connections to Canada’s agri-food innovation ecosystem,” says Dave Smardon, CEO of Bioenterprise Canada. “Their focus on practical, grower-driven solutions aligns closely with our mission to help innovative technologies move to commercialization.”
Agriculture UWindsor, established to strengthen connections between research, education, technology development, and industry application, focuses on “Specialized Technologies for Canada’s Agriculture Future.” Bringing together experts, growers, and industry partners, Agriculture UWindsor develops practical solutions to real-world agricultural challenges, and its work helps farmers improve efficiency, lower costs, make better use of technology, and strengthen their operations against future risks.
“Exceptional agricultural research is already happening at Agriculture UWindsor,” says Shanthi Johnson, Vice-President, Research and Innovation at the University of Windsor. “When experts from different fields come together to tackle complex agricultural challenges, they can develop solutions that are practical, impactful, and ready for real-world application. Partnering with Bioenterprise allows us to connect our researchers, students, industry partners, and innovators to a national network that can help accelerate commercialization and expand opportunities for collaboration.”
Through the partnership, Agriculture UWindsor and Bioenterprise will work together to expand access to research facilities, technical expertise, funding opportunities, testing sites, and industry networks. The collaboration will create new opportunities for students, researchers, and businesses to work together on evaluating, adopting, and commercializing new technologies. Innovators will also benefit from the University of Windsor’s creator-owned intellectual property model, which provides flexibility for researchers and entrepreneurs to pursue the commercialization path that best fits their technology and business goals.
Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine is a national commercialization platform led by Bioenterprise Canada that brings together accelerators, incubators, post-secondary institutions, and government and industry partners to support innovation in the agri-food sector.
About Bioenterprise Canada
Bioenterprise is Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, bringing more than 20 years of industry experience and a national network of partners together to support the growth of innovative agri-food businesses. Its programs and services help Canadian companies commercialize new products, attract investment, and accelerate growth in domestic and global markets.
About Agriculture UWindsor
Agriculture UWindsor focuses on specialized technologies for Canada’s agriculture future. Working alongside growers, industry partners, researchers, and students, Agriculture UWindsor develops and validates practical solutions that improve productivity, sustainability, and resilience across the agri-food sector. Through research, training, and collaboration, Agriculture UWindsor helps connect innovation with real-world agricultural challenges and opportunities.
For more information:
Dave Smardon, Bioenterprise Canada, dave.smardon@bioenterprise.caIsabelle Barrette-Ng and Rupp Carriveau, Co-Directors Agriculture UWindsor, agriculture@uwindsor.ca