UBC Farm named Smart Agriculture Living Lab

September 23, 2025 – CENGN (Canada’s Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Networks) announced the first partnership under its national Living Lab Initiative – located at UBC Farm.

Named the Smart Agriculture Living Lab, this new partnership with CENGN will enable Canadian start-ups and scaleups to test and validate their products and services in sectors like agriculture, robotics, and applied artificial intelligence at UBC Farm. The goal for UBC and CENGN is to support entrepreneurs in commercializing and successfully launching their advanced technology products.

The Honourable Rick Glumac, BC Minister of State for AI and New Technologies said, “B.C. is strengthening its position as a competitive player in the global AI space as more startups and scaleups take their innovations to the next level of commercialization. The launch of the CENGN Living Lab in our province, with the support of UBC, is a clear reflection of that momentum,” he said.

As the use of AI-powered tools gains greater interest among businesses, this Smart Agriculture Living Lab will help advance our government’s commitment to fostering innovation, supporting commercialization, training the next generation of talent; and thereby, attracting more capital investments for our businesses.”

David Kitts, Faculty of Land and Food Systems Dean pro tem, Sean Smukler, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm, the BC Ministry of Agriculture, and speakers representing innovation offices made the Smart Agriculture Living Lab announcement during UBC Immersion Week at Robson Square.

“By partnering with CENGN, UBC is taking a leading role in supporting the Canadian innovation ecosystem,” said David Kitts, Dean pro tem. “UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems has a rich history of research innovations in agriculture and food, and we are proud to provide access to our facilities as a living lab. Working collectively with CENGN, we aim to drive the commercial success of Canadian startups and introduce new transformative technology across one of Canada’s key economic sectors.”

CENGN’s national Living Lab Initiative aims to help over 100 Canadian startups and scaleups looking to prepare their innovative products and solutions for commercialization and industry adoption and is funded through a $45 million investment from the Federal Government’s Strategic Response Fund (SRF).

Tagged with: 2025, Applied Biology, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, UBC Farm