Applications are open to SMEs that show a clear value proposition for Alberta

Jun 27, 2022

Named the Agri-Food and Bioindustrial Innovation Program (ABIP), Alberta Innovates will be doling out funding to eligible projects year-round, with no deadline to apply. The program is open to small and medium-sized enterprises, industry organizations, research and development organizations, post-secondary institutions, and government research laboratories.

Alberta Innovates is allocating $10 million over three years to ABIP, to support tech that increases productivity, enhances competitiveness, boosts the value of agriculture and forestry commodities, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

Applicants are not required to be based in Alberta, but must show a clear value proposition for the province. Projects that will be researched, piloted, demonstrated, and implemented in Alberta that are expected to implement a long-term impact across the province will be prioritized.

ABIP is expected to invest in innovative solutions that will be used by the agriculture and forestry sectors for deployment in Alberta. Managed by Alberta Innovates’ Agri-Food Innovation and Bioindustrial Materials Technology Portfolios, the program’s focus areas include agricultural biotechnology, food processing, and green construction.

“Developing and implementing technology to grow the agri-food and bioindustrial sectors is crucial for Alberta,” said John Zhou, chief cleantech office and vice president of clean resources at Alberta Innovates. “From genetic yield improvement to automation and biofibres, these technologies will be important steps toward addressing global food security and demand for sustainable materials.”

At Alberta Innovates, Zhou oversees program investments directed to agrifood, cleantech, energy, environment, and forestry. He was also the executive director, chief technical officer, and acting CEO of Alberta Innovates’ Energy and Environment Solutions division.

Founded over a century ago, Alberta Innovates is an economic development agency that provides technical expertise, partnership opportunities, and funding to research projects and companies.

Earlier this month, Alberta Innovates announced that it is providing a cumulative $9.1 million CAD investment to 15 projects dedicated to supporting Alberta’s tech sector growth. That financing was made through Alberta Innovates’ Ecosystem Development Pilot Program and announced at Alberta Innovates’ 2022 Inventures conference.

Alberta Innovates previously announced that it is also financing one pre-accelerator and three accelerators through its Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program, which launched last year.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.