Bringing the international perspective to Ontario

LRIC’s International Research Advisory Committee (IRAC) gathered in Guelph for two days of meetings on September 25 and 26. This was my first in-person IRAC meeting and I was struck with the vast experience and breadth of knowledge the committee members brought with them. 

A session around understanding changes in Ontario’s livestock innovation landscape and identifying strategic actions to ensure long term value from Ontario’s animal research facilities included representation from government, academia, and industry. 

Some of the key takeaways on what’s important:

• cross-sector collaboration
• practical application of research
• continuous investment in people and facilities
• the ability to adapt to evolving technologies.

A highlight of the week was a tour the committee took of the University of Waterloo’s Engineering facilities. It was an impressive morning that sparked immediate inspiration for ways to link engineering research with challenges faced by livestock producers.

The tour also brought LRIC’s Engineering a Better Farm Initiative (the focus of our annual symposium last June) full circle. 
There are certainly no shortage of on-farm challenges facing livestock producers, but engaging cross-discipline research including engineering has tremendous potential to benefit the sector.