SFU co-led hubs to innovate Canadian agriculture with $15.8M investment

Two Simon Fraser University co-led genomics hubs will help the Canadian agriculture industry innovate, cut its carbon footprint and boost sustainable and resilient food systems after receiving over $15.8 million in federal and partner funding.

Today, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, announced $6.6 million in federal support for two new hubs – the Climate-Smart Data Collaboration Centre and the Agricultural Genomics in Action Centre – funded through Genome Canada. Provincial governments, businesses and research partners are also investing $9.2 million to advance genomics-based agriculture and food system innovations. 



“Genomics research is instrumental in responding to national and global challenges, such as climate change and food insecurity. Today’s announcement of $6.6 million in federal funding for two new genomics hubs underscores Canada’s leadership in genomics research,” says Champagne. “These hubs are critical to ensuring Canadian research remains at the forefront globally, advancing innovative solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of our food production systems.”
 
The Climate-Smart Data Collaboration Centre will bring together leading experts from across Canada to develop a decentralized data ecosystem, featuring frameworks for sharing data, open-source data processing toolkits, consensus-driven data governance structures that emphasize equitability and accessibility, and improved community data competency and literacy.
 
SFU Health Sciences professor William Hsiao will lead this hub alongside Michelle Edwards, director of Agri-food Data Strategy at the University of Guelph; Claude Robert, Agricultural and Food Sciences professor at Université Laval; and a trio of Canadian genome centres: Genome British Columbia, Ontario Genomics, and Génome Québec.    
 
“Agriculture has always been a data-driven science,” says Hsiao. “The Data Collaboration Centre will work closely with agriculture researchers and knowledge users to create a more equitable, interoperable and scalable data management and sharing ecosystem. This will foster innovation and collaboration for a more inclusive and food-secure future.”
 
The Agricultural Genomics in Action Centre aligns and coordinates knowledge mobilization strategies and activities to bridge the gap between knowledge generation and implementation. The hub will help make research findings relevant and accessible to end users to drive climate change impacts.
 
Lupin Battersby, director of SFU’s Knowledge Mobilization Hub, will lead this hub in partnership with Elizabeth Shantz, manager of knowledge mobilization; Jessica Bowes, assistant vice-president of Research (Innovation & Knowledge Mobilization), both from the University of Guelph; and Nancy Tout, chief scientific officer at the Global Institute for Food Security at the University of Saskatchewan.
 
“This is a unique and inspired approach to supporting knowledge to action,” says Battersby. “Our team is excited to build a catalyzing and organizing platform to support transformative change.”
 
Partnerships and investments play a key role in SFU’s success as a world leader in research, knowledge development and sustainability. SFU ranks among the top universities worldwide and first in Canada for its impact on climate action and sustainable cities and communities.