Leading Canadian agricultural school and Bioenterprise sign Memorandum of Understanding
For immediate release
Guelph ON/Olds AB, 8 December 2021 – Smart farming pioneer Olds College, one of Canada’s leading agricultural schools, is partnering with Bioenterprise, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, to strengthen national agricultural innovation opportunities.
The two organizations have entered into a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will see them collaborate on agri-food innovation initiatives.
“Olds College, with its focus on agri-tech education and development, plays a central role in Alberta’s agriculture ecosystem and is a beacon in Western Canada for ag innovation,” says Bioenterprise CEO Dave Smardon. “They are closely attuned to the latest technologies in the agricultural space, and we look forward to mutually sharing our expertise, networks, and resources through the Engine to benefit the sector.”
In collaboration with industry and sector partners, Olds College has converted its 2,800-acre commercially viable mixed farm into a Smart Farm. It provides product development and a living lab demonstration experience for a range of agriculture and technology companies, from multi-nationals and small and medium enterprises to start-ups and scale-ups.
The development and operation of the Olds College Smart Farm are centred around engaging farmers and industry to address real-world agricultural problems by using and integrating technology and data. The Smart Farm also focuses on teaching students how to integrate, manage, and leverage ag technology to enhance and sustain agri-food production.
“At Olds College, we understand the value of a healthy agriculture and agri-food innovation ecosystem and the benefits of active partnerships that expand the capacity of that ecosystem,” says Patrick Machacek, Vice President, Development & Strategy, Olds College. “Our partnership with Bioenterprise will bring increased opportunities for the college to work with innovative start-ups and agri-tech entrepreneurs in our applied research projects, and give our faculty and students the opportunity to build valuable relationships with the Bioenterprise national network of industry experts and mentors.”
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About Bioenterprise:
Bioenterprise is Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine, bringing more than 15 years of industry experience and a national and international network of research institutions, academia, mentors and experts, government, and industry to help small and medium-sized businesses in the sector nationwide Connect, Innovate, and Grow. Through its experienced service partner network, Bioenterprise offers a wide range of expertise and support to its clients, and partnerships with other industries help open doors to new technologies and platforms to help food and agri-tech businesses innovate and grow. Visit https://bioenterprise.ca/ to learn more.
About Olds College:
Olds College is known for high-tech, hands-on agriculture education and innovative applied research that lays the foundation for solving real-world problems in farming, food and land. The College offers programming in Agriculture, Horticulture, Land and Environment Management, Animal Science, Food Production, Business, Trades and Apprenticeships. Olds College Centre of Innovation and Smart Farm are accelerating the development and adoption of technologies and practices that result in improved productivity, profitability and sustainability of the agriculture and agri-food industry through industry-driven applied research. Olds College has been recognized as one of Canada’s top 50 research colleges by Research Infosourse. As Canada’s smart agriculture college, Olds College is working to achieve its social purpose of transforming agriculture for a better world.
For more information:
Dave Smardon, CEO, Bioenterprise
E: dave.smardon@bioenterprise.ca | P: 519-821-2960
Robyn Soper, Communications and Events Advisor, Olds College
E: rsoper@oldscollege.ca | P: 403-556-4769
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