Innovation Saskatchewan Partners with WHIN and Cultivator powered by Conexus to Support Agtech Development and Growth

Released on April 19, 2023

Today, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the pilot partnership between Innovation Saskatchewan (IS), Wabash Heartland Innovation Network (WHIN), and Cultivator powered by Conexus (Cultivator) to further support agricultural technology development and economic growth in the province. 

This new collaboration will establish an important connection to a significant market in the U.S. grain belt and help accelerate the commercialization and adoption of Saskatchewan agtech technologies through field trials with WHIN's Ag Alliance members. These opportunities will act as a soft landing pad for Saskatchewan agtech companies expanding to new markets and are critical for their growth and success.

 "Saskatchewan's agtech sector is a major driver of growth in the provincial economy," Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan Jeremy Harrison said. "This pilot partnership will accelerate agtech research and development and help attract new high-growth companies to Saskatchewan."

With an extensive network of agricultural producers and manufacturers throughout 10 north-central Indiana counties, WHIN will help formalize and operationalize this farmer network to foster more field trial and validation opportunities for Saskatchewan agtech companies. This strategy compliments Cultivator's goals of accelerating agtech through its AGTECH Accelerator program and Million Acres project, which is developing a farmer network across the province and country that represents a collective of one million acres of farmland. 

"We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Innovation Saskatchewan and Cultivator," WHIN CEO Johnny Park said. "This partnership is a vital connection to Canadian agtech companies looking to offer their products in the U.S. market, which allows us to increase the flow of technology into the WHIN region for pilot tests and accelerated adoption by the WHIN farmers."

"We're thrilled to be partnering with Innovation Saskatchewan and WHIN to further support the growth and development of the province's agtech sector," Cultivator Incubator Manager Jordan McFarlen said. "By leveraging the expertise and resources provided by CEO Johnny Park and the team at WHIN, we can provide vital support and opportunities for Canadian agtech startups to pursue field trials and validation in the U.S. market, ultimately driving economic growth and job creation for Saskatchewan and Canada as a whole."

Innovation Saskatchewan, WHIN and Cultivator will work together with existing agricultural infrastructure in the province to help support early-stage agtech startups, create a pipeline for future investments, help stimulate the provincial economy and triple the technology sector, all of which were identified as important objectives in Saskatchewan's Growth Plan 2020-30.

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