Mohawk College joins Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine

Guelph ON, – Mohawk College’s IDEAWORKS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bioenterprise Canada to become a Knowledge & Development Partner in Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine. 

The Engine is a national ecosystem of advisors, partners, members, and mentors who collectively work together to share information, services and resources to advance agri-food innovation nationwide. 

Through the new partnership, IDEAWORKS, which is Mohawk College’s active hub of applied research and innovation, will have access to the Engine’s resources and services. At the same time, the broader agricultural innovation ecosystem will be introduced to Mohawk College’s clients, staff and partners in hopes of fostering collaboration and connections that will help support innovation commercialization.

“We welcome the opportunity to partner with IDEAWORKS and collaborate to support entrepreneurs in successfully commercializing their innovations,” says Dave Smardon, Bioenterprise CEO. “It’s always exciting to see new partners join the Engine as we continue to expand and strengthen Canada’s unique agri-innovation ecosystem from coast to coast.”

Mohawk College’s IDEAWORKS fills the space between research and solutions by delivering customized support to organizations. For example, the Low Carbon Readiness Program (LCRP) provides professional expertise to small-to-medium-sized businesses across Canada in emissions evaluation, energy monitoring and data acquisition, and overall sustainability strategies.

“We are excited to be a part of the Engine community; it was the focus on agri-tech and the emphasis on knowledge sharing as a principle of collaboration that attracted us to Bioenterprise and the Engine,” says Shefaza Esmail, Program Manager SME Solutions with IDEAWORKS. “This partnership expands the reach of our knowledge and services into the Engine, provides an avenue for our professional staff to stay current with, and contribute expertise to, agri-tech innovations and introduces Mohawk graduates to career opportunities in this sector.”