It’s no secret that agriculture and agri-food are major contributors to our nation’s GDP, accounting for significant sales within Canada and serving as a vital export component, nor is it a secret that our high-tech innovators are world-class. At the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN), we bridge the divide that tends to separate these two vital sectors, thereby facilitating the kind of collaboration that drives real results.
How do we do that?
By paying for stuff. That’s right — we manage a pot of money that Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada gave us to encourage important advances in three key ag-tech focus areas:
- Automation and robotics
- Data integration, analysis, and decision-making
- Smart farms
The way it works is that individuals or organizations with big agricultural or agri-food innovation ideas submit proposals when we launch a competitive process. To be considered, groups must:
- Be entirely Canadian and commit to keeping their technology in Canada (remember what the “C” in CAAIN stands for); and
- Include at least two small- or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are defined as companies with no more than 499 employees and revenue not exceeding $50 million.
After all, one of our purposes is to stimulate economic growth.
Wait, there’s more!
As our name suggests, CAAIN is a network. That means we go beyond simply funding worthy innovative agri-food research initiatives. Above all, we’re a connector. If you’re a player in the agricultural, agri-food, or high-tech sector, join us. If you’re a post-secondary institution with a focus on agriculture or high technology, join us. If you’re a venture capital operation looking to invest in Canada’s future, join us. Membership in CAAIN has its privileges, including becoming part of a community that will help diversify and sustainably drive our nation’s economy in the coming decades.
If what we’re doing resonates, get in touch. Together, we can drive real progress in one of Canada’s most important industries.
Check us out online, on LinkedIn, or drop us a line at [email protected].
