SFU launches Global Institute for Agritech to lead agricultural technology innovation

A new research institute at Simon Fraser University aims to help with world challenges around climate change and food security through agricultural technology (agritech) innovation.

SFU’s Global Institute for Agritech (GIA) is a new, multi-faculty, global research institute that aims to advance agritech research and facilitate collaboration with partners around the world. The GIA will seek innovative solutions to tackle global agricultural challenges arising from climate change, such as drought resilience and soil degradation, and find solutions to food security issues.

“Agriculture is one of the most important hallmarks of civilization,” says GIA’s founding director Woo Soo Kim, an SFU professor at the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering and a Special Advisor to the Vice President of Research and Innovation. 

“But with the recent climate change crisis, even in B.C., we see some areas flood while others become dried out. Some areas experience very cold in winter, which has a significant impact on the sustainability of the crops we have traditionally grown.  With the efforts of the agritech institute, we can collectively enhance climate resilience, for example by creating spaces for indoor farming, providing farmers with improved crop varieties, and reducing pesticide use through autonomous AI technology with sensors and robotics.”

The GIA will conduct cutting-edge research on innovative agritech solutions, focusing on precision farming, sustainable pest management, crop diversification and more. Researchers hope that by fostering strategic partnerships with industry leaders, other academic institutions, and internal SFU units such as SFU International, SFU Sustainability and Climate, SFU Partnership Hub, and SFU Advancement & Alumni Engagement, the GIA will create an ecosystem that promotes knowledge sharing and the practical application of research. 

“The Global Institute for Agritech at SFU will be unique,” said GIA’s associate director Tammara Soma, an associate professor of Resource and Environmental Management. “It will train the next generation of agrifood innovators who are in tune with community needs, are adaptable to changing circumstances on the ground, who think systematically, and can harness the power of technology to develop an equitable and sustainable food system for all.”

The new institute was approved by SFU Senate on Oct. 7, 2024. Its membership includes 13 SFU researchers from across seven faculties and advisory council members from Wageningen University and Research (The Netherlands), Technical University München (Germany), with the affiliated members from Kwantlen Polytechnical University and the University of the Fraser Valley. In addition, the GIA will include advisory council members from government, including the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; industry research and development partners, Catalera BioSolutions and Lucent BioSciences; and a First Nations relations advisor, Agrotek.

 By focusing on partnerships with multi-stakeholders in Canada and global powerhouses, the GIA can enhance SFU's research capacity while simultaneously supporting local agritech innovators, acting as a vital bridge with the SFU-led B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation. GIA’s pan-University initiative will manifest through various activities, including the launch of GIA workshops, GIA webinar series, graduate student training programs, and global outreach efforts, all aimed at creating a robust ecosystem that drives agricultural technology advancements and addresses pressing local climate challenges.

“With high land, labour and environmental costs, Canadian agriculture needs to improve yield and quality of crops with less resources to remain competitive and sustainable,” says GIA’s associate director Jim Mattsson, a professor of biological sciences. “GIA provides research and expertise ranging from energy savings to robotics to precision breeding of local crops to address these issues."  

Currently, the GIA aims to concentrate on three key global areas through its existing SFU partnerships: the Pacific Rim, East Africa (representing Tanzania), and The Netherlands. Additionally, these partnerships will be expanded to include other global regions in the future. 

Specifically, the institute will collaborate with the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), having recently co-hosted an APRU’s food security and agritech hub with the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University. In addition, SFU has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Aga Khan University in Tanzania, an ecologically rich region for agricultural and food security research. And finally, SFU will collaborate with its partners at the Wageningen University & Research (WUR), a leading agritech university in The Netherlands.

As the Global Institute for Agritech launches, it aims to advance agricultural technology research while empowering communities and promoting sustainable practices for global food security. Through innovative solutions, community-engaged research, and collaboration, the GIA is set to lead SFU’s mission to address climate change challenges and foster a more resilient agricultural future.

Learn more about the Global Institute for Agritech: www.sfu.ca/global-institute-agritech.html