Olds College joins Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine

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.”