By Hanif R Houston
UC ANR Innovate – the innovation program of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources – has been awarded $15.1 million to launch the state’s first coordinated agricultural innovation network, connecting California’s diverse food-producing regions to accelerate technology, support entrepreneurs and prepare the workforce of the future. This award is part of $28.6 million in new Jobs First funding for California’s agricultural sector, with UC ANR leading the statewide agricultural innovation cluster. The cluster spans agtech and food systems investments designed to strengthen competitiveness and resilience across the state.
Funded through the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and California Jobs First, this statewide effort will align research, industry and community partners across nine regions, ensuring that breakthroughs in one part of the state can be shared quickly and equitably across all of California agriculture. At $15.1 million, it is the largest award made to date under the California Jobs First Regional Investment Initiative.
“This award allows us to do something California has never done before: build a single, statewide engine for agricultural innovation,” said Gabriel Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC ANR. “We will be able to seamlessly connect researchers, entrepreneurs, farmworkers and industry across major farming regions, moving ideas from the lab to the field faster than ever, and ensuring that every farmer – from small specialty growers to large scale producers – benefits from the tools needed to stay competitive.”