FCC and Area X.O Evolve Collaboration to Accelerate Agri-tech Innovation, Adoption and Impact

Ottawa, – Area X.O, the R&D complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy and connectivity and home of the Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert, together with Farm Credit Canada (FCC), today announced the evolution of their partnership to accelerate agri-tech innovation, adoption and impact on farmers, Canada’s agricultural sector and economy.

Building on four years of collaboration, FCC is expanding its sponsorship of the Ottawa Smart Farm over the next three years. This enhanced FCC-Area X.O partnership will:

• Strengthen the capabilities of the re-branded Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert
• Enable more agtech innovators, companies and producers to leverage these resources to accelerate their R&D and business growth and drive the adoption of new solutions
• Inspire, excite and foster the next generation of agtech talent and producers
• Catalyze even greater regional and national innovation collaboration, exchange of knowledge and best management practices among researchers, companies, producers, and other smart farms across Canada

This will help drive the development, commercialization and application of new agricultural technologies that can help increase the productivity, profitability and long-term sustainability of producers and fuel the competitiveness of Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.

Area X.O is one of four smart farms FCC is bringing together and supporting across the country. This is propelling a new era of collaborative agricultural innovation, economic growth, and problem-solving in Canada. This partnership enables innovators, companies and producers at the Ottawa Smart Farm to collaborate with partners in Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario and:

• Address key agricultural challenges, including those related to the rising cost of farming and food; climate change; and long-term sustainability of the farming industry;

• Acquire new learning, innovation and business opportunities; and
• Help build the future farms and agriculture industry required to feed generations of Canadians.

Established by Invest Ottawa and the City of Ottawa, the Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert is nestled in the heart of Area X.O, the R&D complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy and connectivity.  It provides producers, innovators and firms with access to leading resources, including:

• One of the world's most advanced communications test systems
• State-of-the-art AI and data analytic technologies
• 100 acres of secure, completely gated farmland and demonstration area
• The highest concentration of tech talent per capita in North America

These capabilities empower smart agriculture and data-driven decision-making, boosting the productivity, performance, and profitability of producers. These resources help to:

• Accelerate the development, commercialization, and application of new agtech solutions
• Catalyze fresh global market opportunities for agtech innovators, startups, and companies
• Foster the creation of new agtech products, companies, and jobs in the nation's capital

This new chapter of the FCC-Area X.O partnership will fuel new outcomes and impacts at the Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert, and increase the contribution of the innovators, companies and producers it serves to the regional, national and global agriculture and agri-food industry.