A new agreement signed by Lethbridge College and SVG Ventures|THRIVE (THRIVE) will bring together entrepreneurs, industry experts and researchers to support Alberta’s agriculture sector.
As a result of the new memorandum of understanding (MOU), Lethbridge College and SVG Ventures and its agri-food innovation and investment platform, THRIVE Canada, will work together to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative solutions to support growth in southern Alberta’s agriculture and food sectors.
THRIVE is comprised of top agriculture, food and technology corporations, universities and investors. With a community of over 6,000 startups from more than 100 countries, the THRIVE platform invests, accelerates and creates access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries. By partnering with Lethbridge College, THRIVE can connect agricultural-based entrepreneurs with the expertise in the college’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE).
“Our agriculture research capacity has grown significantly over the past few years, and this is another sign of the important role we play in Alberta’s agriculture sector,” says Dr. Kenny Corscadden, Vice President – Research and Partnerships at Lethbridge College. “By working with THRIVE, we can continue to build our long-term innovation and commercialization capacity by connecting with entrepreneurs. We are ready to work with southern Alberta’s agricultural and food sector organizations to support their innovation needs and encourage effective technology adoption.”
Lethbridge College’s agriculture research is facilitated through the Integrated Agriculture Technology Centre, which includes the college’s Irrigation Demo Farm, greenhouse operations on the Lethbridge College campus and in Brooks, and research teams focused on irrigation, post-harvest technology and aquaponics. THRIVE will strive to partner with Lethbridge College on opportunities for connectivity with start-ups that require testing and validation or follow-up through applied research projects.
“This partnership allows us to work with researchers and entrepreneurs in the ideation phase, creating practical solutions for real-world challenges across the agrifood tech value chain,” says John Cassidy, Managing Director, THRIVE Canada. “We’ve seen firsthand the innovations that are coming from Alberta, and this partnership allows us to support the ecosystem in a broader way.”
The MOU focuses on Lethbridge College and THRIVE working towards comarketing initiatives and events in Alberta, pursuing opportunities to build southern Alberta’s agri-food innovation ecosystem, and supporting Lethbridge College’s start-up and applied research community. In addition, the MOU aims to help THRIVE and the college build competitiveness across Alberta’s agriculture and food industries through the effective adoption of technology.
About CARIE
Fundamental to Lethbridge College’s vision of leading and transforming education in Alberta, the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE) is a catalyst for economic growth, sustainability and social development in the region. Its integrated approach brings together industry, community organizations, researchers, employees and students to collaborate on projects that use new or existing knowledge to solve real-world challenges with immediate practical applications. Project outcomes often lead to innovative products and services that benefit the local economy and society.
About SVG Ventures|THRIVE
SVG Ventures | THRIVE is the leading global agrifood investment and innovation platform headquartered in Silicon Valley, and comprised of top agriculture, food & technology corporations, universities, and investors. With a community of over 5,000 startups from 100 countries, the THRIVE platform invests, accelerates, and creates unparalleled access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries. SVG’s global partners include Media Partner Forbes and leading government, agriculture, and technology corporations such as Alberta Government, Old’s College, Calgary Economic Development, Corteva, Driscoll’s, FCC, BASF, Kubota, Land O’Lakes, Trimble, Taylor Farms, Bayer, ICL, Nutrien, Intel, Valmont, UFA, Yamaha Motor Ventures and Wilbur-Ellis. Learn more at thriveagrifood.com.