Meeting Notes - 4AG Robotics - December 6th, 2024
New Members:
Isabelle Legault – FEDNOR
Stephen Bolton – Western Fair District
New members, please be prepared to briefly introduce yourselves and touch on why you joined the group.
Presentations:
Speakers: Sean O’Connor
Organization: 4AG Robotics
Presentation: The Trials and Tribulations of Building a Mushroom Harvesting Robot
Conferences/Meetings/Field Tours/Demonstrations
· Grand River Agricultural Society Spark V4 Symposium – April 15, 2025. https://gras.blitzen.com/form/SPARK-V4?_kx=gv4KhsjF7Taf829EsAP_FBSQc6SwAbP_wM0LpF8ox-PLjhd-etCIX4l20HUQLINo.UUrNv6 Applications Close January 10, 2025
Attendees at recent conferences, please be prepared to provide a brief update to the group.
Project Updates
Summer 2025 Research: Call for ideas/ partners
Summer Demo Days: Share dates confirmed & locations
Funding Announcements/Opportunities –
Canada Business App https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en/canada-business-app
Canadian Agricultural Strategic Priorities Program https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/canadian-agricultural-strategic-priorities - Open until March 2029
COLLABORATE 2 COMMERCIALIZE https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/collaborate-2-commercialize/ - Ongoing
Emergent Horticulture Opportunities Fund – https://www.vinelandresearch.com/work-with-us/emergent-horticulture-opportunities-fund/ - Open until February 2025
Agri-Innovate - AgriInnovate Program: Step 1. What this program offers - agriculture.canada.ca - Open until March 2028
OMAFRA/SCAP Funding Announcement and Program Details Link - Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership | ontario.ca - Open until March 2028
The Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub : Bioenterprise - Round 2 Intake opening Spring 2025
OCI Critical Industrial Technologies Initiative - https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/cit/ - Ongoing
CAAIN Open Competition - https://caain.ca/funding-calls/2024-open-competition/ - Open Intake
· Ontario Agri-Food research Initiative – Deadline December 4 for commercialization, January 13 for all other streams https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-agri-food-research-initiative?utm_campaign=%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1005018%2Fgovernments-investing-in-innovation-to-strengthen-ontarios-agri-food-sector&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsroom&utm_term=ops
· CIT AI Innovation Challenge Statement – https://www.oc-innovation.ca/programs/cit/ – Deadline December 10
· Agriculture Clean Technology Program Research and Innovation Stream - https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/accelerator - Deadline January 10, 2025
Round Table
Other Items/Articles
Ontario Agri-Food Research & Innovation Portal (OAFRIP)
The Expanding 2024 Crop Robotics Landscape, Navigating to Commercialization
Robotics Gaining Momentum in Horticulture Crops
New System a “Bringer of Rain” – and More
A Significant Shift in the World of Livestock Feed
Farmer Vs Robot – Farm of the Future
Addressing Labor Shortages in Agriculture: The Role of AgTech Innovations and Government Support
Hybrid robot Icaro X4 combats vineyard fungi without chemicals
South Korea becomes first nation to replace 10% workforce with robots
Technology is Taking Farming Into a Brave New World
Province announced multimillion-dollar investment to increase food processing capacity in Manitoba