Mike Wonnick
Interim CEO, Ag-West Bio
Jeremy Lang
Director of Business Development & Innovation, Ag-West Bio
Monica Pollard
Director of Ecosystem Development Ag-West Bio
This AgBio start-up supporter turns Canadian entrepreneurism into innovation, driving the AgBio industry forward and paving the way to the future of Canada’s food and agriculture industry.
Canada is a nation renowned for its abundant resources: fresh water, timber and farmland may be the first to come to mind. Often overlooked is Canada’s entrepreneurial community, a collection of like-minded individuals who continue to push innovation and industry exploration across the country. While this entrepreneurial mindset has a place in all industries, perhaps one of the most ambitious is Canada’s agriculture and food biotech – better known as AgBio. It merges Canada’s aptitude towards natural resources with the nation’s leading entrepreneurism and represents companies building innovative agriculture and food business. Leading the mission towards continued innovation in this space is Ag-West Bio, an economic development agency dedicated to helping grow the agriculture and food bio-business in Saskatchewan.
“Agriculture innovation affects everyone,” explains Jeremy Lang, Ag-West Bio Director of Business Development and Innovation. “It determines how we feed the world, steward our environment and build resilient rural economies. Supporting AgBio ensures a sustainable and competitive future for Canada.”
A nonprofit rooted in community
For over 35 years, Ag-West Bio has been committed to helping grow biobusiness in the province. A government-funded, membership-based non-profit, Ag-West Bio acts as a conduit to providing solutions to AgBio businesses that are starting up, helping them commercialize and grow. “We help businesses succeed where they are at, in all and any area of business and we do it through community,” says Interim Ag-West Bio CEO, Mike Wonnick. Ag-West Bio recognizes the immense need for AgBio in Canada and advocates for Saskatchewan-based organizations that show promise in the space.
It’s a niche market, but it’s integral to the continued success and adaptability of the Canadian food industry as a whole. “There are challenges facing the sector that are too complex for any single organization to solve alone. When industry, academia, startups and producers come together, risks shrink and more companies can turn research into real products,” says Monica Pollard, Ag-West Bio’s Director of Ecosystem Development.
Spearheading initiatives that move industry forward
Ag-West Bio identifies gaps in the AgBio market and aims to create and find initiatives that help fill them.
The Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP) is one such initiative connecting agri-food and biotech innovators with the expertise and ecosystem they need to move from concept to product. “GAAP offers open-access biomanufacturing infrastructure so companies can develop and scale bioproducts,” says Jeremy.
The Prairie Food Link (PFL) is an initiative that connects food and ingredient entrepreneurs together. “It’s about bringing the right people, ideas and resources together so an industry can grow and innovate faster,” Monica explains. By connecting local agri-food businesses of all sizes, the industry can lean on community and connectivity, working as a team as opposed to siloed.
Finally, the Ag-West Bio Technology Commercialization Fund, active since 1989, provides funding to innovative, early stage agri-food companies that show potential in the way of developing new industry technology.
Environmental and socioeconomic challenges are requiring Canada’s AgBio industry to adapt and evolve. Ag-West Bio is ensuring the industry stays competitive both locally and abroad. “Canada has world-class research institutions, abundant natural resources and a growing network of entrepreneurs, making it a hub for agri-food and biomanufacturing innovation,” says Jeremy. “For Canadians, this means economic growth, a sustainable food system and leadership on the global stage.”
To learn more about Ag-West Bio and its initiatives visit agwest.sk.ca.
