Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop visited the University of Guelph to learn how the University is helping develop commercial solutions to challenges in sectors across Ontario’s economy through technology research and innovation.

The pair toured the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre [1] (BDDC) and had a chance to interact with GIGAS, the Guelph Intelligent Greenhouse Automation System. 

“We were thrilled to share with the premier and the minister two outstanding examples of agriculture and food research and innovation at the University of Guelph,” said Dr. Rene Van Acker, interim vice-president (research).

“Our researchers develop technologies that are commercialized here in Ontario to solve real-world global problems, while embedding student training in all of our research efforts. Our collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance [2], underpins our capacity to be world leaders in this regard.” 

Development of GIGAS and BDDC research are supported in part by the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the University of Guelph. Alliance-funded research has led to the development of the world’s first compostable coffee pods [3], eco-friendly cutlery [4] and lightweight auto parts [5].

Read the whole story: U of G’s Technology Leadership on Display During Premier Visit [6]