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Ag accelerator partners with University Of The Fraser Valley

The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) and Bioenterprise, with Canada’s Food and Agri-Tech Engine, entered into an agreement to join with academia and industry to support the development of new technologies and companies across British Columbia with a focus in the Fraser Valley.

The Fraser Valley ranks number one in the province’s agricultural economy, generating over $1 billion in gross farm receipts each year. In fact, one in five jobs in the Fraser Valley is related to the agricultural sector.

According to the media release, the partnership centres around a shared interest in developing talent and innovation in the agriculture and food sectors.

This agreement allows UFV and Bioenterprise to bring to companies and entrepreneurs who are looking to grow and scale access to services and resources previously unavailable to them.

Working with The Engine and its partners, UFV and Bioenterprise have agreed to cooperate, on a non-exclusive basis, in the area of delivering commercialization services for British Columbia to enhance the contribution that each organization can make to the agricultural sector including cleantech, agri-tech, food tech, industrial and commercial agriculture technologies. Bioenterprise will help to connect companies from across the province to the resources and opportunities offered through The Engine network to expand their reach, enhance commercialization potential, and support job creation and expansion.

The partnership will connect companies from across to province to resources to expand their reach, enhance commercialization potential, and support job creation and expansion.

The Engine is made up of members and partners across Canada and around the world that are focused on agri-tech and food-tech developments. Many of the companies that Bioenterprise has worked with are in the digital, precision agricultural space that needs educated and motivated employees interested in the future positioning of agriculture.

UFV will be able to provide a pipeline of innovation and skilled staff for the innovation agricultural system, to manage technologies impacting production, food processing, distribution as well as key drivers such as environmental sustainability, and new and existing innovation.

“The University of the Fraser Valley sees great potential for our scientists, students, and entrepreneurs in growing their confidence and experience in the ag and food sectors in British Columbia. “We see partnering with Bioenterprise as an important component of the commercialization process for these technologies and companies” said Craig Toews, vice president external for UFV, in the release.

“We see so much potential for ag and food innovation in B.C., and in particular in the Fraser Valley, so much so that we have created a new degree in agriculture, with a focus on horticultural sciences. We are fostering new ties to agribusiness, and our relationship with Bioenterprise and its stakeholders will only solidify this position across the province and indeed build our connectivity across the country,” Toews continued.

“The University of the Fraser Valley is a wonderful partner to us because they bring not only new innovations to the front, but also its connectivity into one of the major agricultural producing regions within the country.” said Dave Smardon, chief executive officer at Bioenterprise. “The diversity of agriculture in the lower mainland will provide Bioenterprise clients with ample opportunity to pilot, test, demonstrate and ultimately to sell innovations domestically and internationally.