Gov't Commits $3.2 Million Towards New Engineering Biology Centre

The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $3.2 million into a multi-year agreement that will see the University of Saskatchewan Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) construct a new engineering biology centre.

The hope, according to Agriculture Minister David Marit, is that the new centre will attract investment and companies to the province that are working on related projects in a field that is becoming of increasing importance.

"This investment places Saskatchewan at the forefront of engineering biology and builds on Saskatchewan's world-class research hub in Saskatoon, Work at the centre will ensure our producers have access to crop varieties adapted to our climate and will develop new ways to add value to the crop and livestock products we produce."

$2 million in funding is being provided through the Innovation Science Fund, with the remaining amount being provided through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership; a five-year, $3 billion dollar partnership between the federal, provincial and territorial governments.

As Minister Marit explained, attracting not only companies and investment but also the top talent that works in the biotech field, can only help as it puts the province in a position of leadership in those areas.

"There's a lot of brilliant minds in ag research and the biotechnology side globally. And if you have a centre or hub that can really attract this type of brilliant mind to really look, what it does it gives them access to all different kinds of crop varieties and how they're adapting to climate and how we can add value to these crops."

Innovation Saskatchewan has been managing the Innovation Science Fund since 2015.