Introducing the Re-Branded Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert

Sep 29, 2023

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.

Featured Quotes

“We are honoured to collaborate with FCC, a long-standing strategic partner, on our shared goals. Building directly on our refreshed strategic plan, and our vision and mission at Area X.O, this enhanced collaboration will enable us to grow our local economy and make a national and global impact. It will enable our community to collaborate on grand challenges and increase the long-term profitability and sustainability of producers we rely on, today and tomorrow. Together, we are creating agricultural solutions, companies and jobs for the future.”

Michael Tremblay, president and CEO, Invest Ottawa

“Farmer-led innovation is the foundation of the work at the Ottawa Smart Farm powered by AgExpert. FCC has been a proud supporter of the Ottawa Smart Farm project from the very beginning, and we are happy to contribute to the advancement of this important research, innovation and development facility. Developing these technologies helps to position our agriculture and food industry as a world leader in agtech and open the door for Canadian producers to be on the cutting edge of the practices that will make them successful.”

Fred Wall, Vice-President of Marketing and Digital Agriculture, FCC

“Ottawa has a unique geographic mix of urban and rural land that no other large city in Canada possess with a substantial agriculture sector with more than 1,000 working farms and more 46,000 jobs. The Ottawa Smart Farm enables researchers, companies, and producers to access millions of dollars in technologies and collaborate on big agriculture challenges. This expanded partnership with FCC directly supports the innovation, economic and environmental goals we have established as a city. The knowledge and outcomes emerging from the Ottawa Smart Farm increases the competitiveness of our producers, and our regional economy.”

His Worship Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa

“We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with FCC, a national agriculture and lending leader. Together, we are creating new opportunities for our agtech sector. This includes impactful research led by GPS Ontario and uOttawa with the Ottawa Smart Farm. This team has developed a new farming practice that requires 33% less fertilizer than conventional farming practices. It increases the yield by 30% while decreasing carbon emissions by 90%. We are excited to build on these outcomes, and help producers leverage these technologies and learnings to build a profitable and sustainable business.”

Sonya Shorey, Vice-President of Strategy, Marketing and Communications, Invest Ottawa

“GPS Ontario is a pioneer in the precision agriculture industry. We promote complete farm solutions from hardware to data management, providing a completely tailored solution for farmers in Eastern Canada and support for growers across North America. The Smart Farm at Area X.O is providing our firm with critical validation and demonstration space that outfitted with the advanced technology, expertise and industry Best Management Practices (BMPs). We are excited to build on the outcomes we have achieved to date and continually increase our impact on producers.”

Jordan Wallace, Owner, GPS Ontario; Sales, Service, Support and Training Representative, Trimble

“I am passionate about the goals we are pursuing with GPS Ontario and the Ottawa Smart Farm at Area X.O. This R&D complex enables us to access leading technologies, data and expertise, and increase our research productivity, opportunity and impact. We are very encouraged by the outcomes achieved to date with our collaborators. This includes new farming practices that can increase the profitability of producers, while reducing their carbon footprint. I am excited to evolve this work with our partners and increase our impact on Canada’s agricultural industry.”