The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) is sowing the seeds of future agriculture tech with a boost to homegrown innovation

OCIF, along with partners the Calgary Stampede, AdFarm, and Olds College, made the announcement of a $2.75 million investment over five years for the creation of AgSphere, an agricultural innovation hub.

The goal is to support 75 companies and train 450 people, including students and reskilling, over the five-year investment. The purpose is to increase ag-tech innovation, technology adoption, attract investment and address a workforce shortage.

“AgSphere is about helping create a collaborative, connected and united agriculture ecosystem where innovation, ideas and new technologies can thrive,” said Brad Parry, President and CEO, Calgary Economic Development and CEO, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.

“This investment strengthens our agriculture sector, drives economic growth and is another step forward in positioning Calgary as the innovation capital of Canada.”

Chris Paterson, executive director of AgSphere, said that in a competitive agriculture world, Canada needs to continue to build on the advantages it has in agriculture to be global leaders in ag and food innovation.

“On a global level, Canadian farms are already the very best at efficiency, leveraging technology, sustainability, and Canada’s brand is highly trusted for delivering quality and safety,” he said.

Paterson said the hub would act like a matchmaker for innovative farms, including access to a trained workforce and capital.

“There’s actually innovative farm networks out there, farmers who know they want to get ahead of the curve and validate technologies and have an impact on how these technologies evolve,” he said.

One of the immediate outcomes AgSphere is focused on is an exchange of sorts, bringing in foreign products to test them in a Canadian market, and send Canadian farmers and products to other countries to explore their consumer markets.

Natural fit for the Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede grounds currently have vacant office space where AgSpace will take up residence on a temporary basis. Calgary Stampede CEO Joel Cowley said that as they progress toward completion of a 20-year master plan for Stampede Park, having the AgSphere fits with their goal of having space for agricultural stakeholders and partners.

“AgSphere would be a natural fit for something like that,” he said.

He said that agriculture is one of the Calgary Stampede’s core missions, and they continue that tradition, in part, through ongoing education of the public on the importance of the industry.

“We feel that between those two initiatives, there’s a convergence to potentially further support AgSphere and have a greater impact in the agricultural community and within the community of Calgary as well,” he said.

There’s also an opportunity to leverage the annual 10-days of Calgary Stampede to showcase some of the technology and innovation that sprouts from the new ag hub.

“There’s a great opportunity to activate during Stampede, with 1.4 7 million visitors now coming over the 10 days, many of them having no real connection to agriculture, being three or four generations removed from any agrarian background,” Cowley said.

“Anything we can do to highlight agriculture, its importance on our economy, it’s frankly, its importance to our daily lives, is really, really important.”

Parry said this is also about helping people in urban centres understand that opportunities in the ag sector aren’t just on the farm.

“As you heard today, basically a tractor has 32 computers on board. You need this kind of technology and innovation to collide to come up with new solutions, to become more effective, more productive in our farming system,” he said.

He also said that there will be natural connections between other hubs, like aviation and hydrogen to continue evolving Calgary’s economy and build an environment where innovation can flourish.

“The idea is to connect all of these technologies and innovations together to make sure we have new company formation, new IP, new talent development, but also become a magnet for other companies and other sectors to want to come here and grow and scale,” he said.