The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) will invest up to $2.75 million over five years to support and establish AgSphere, a hub designed to advance agrifood innovation across Canada by serving as a central ecosystem merging agriculture, technology and food.
AgSphere aims to increase innovation, technology adoption, attract investment and address a workforce shortage in the agriculture industry. The hub will link Western Canada’s agricultural expertise with Calgary’s strengths in technology, energy and access to capital and talent.
“Calgary and Alberta have deep roots in agriculture, and that legacy continues to drive innovation today. As we experience a growing population, AgSphere will help innovators and entrepreneurs continue tackling global food and energy challenges with creative ‘made-in-Calgary’ solutions,” said Calgary Mayor, Jeromy Farkas.
To strengthen Canada’s agricultural competitiveness, the hub will connect producers, startups, investors and partners, including founding partners AdFarm, the Calgary Stampede, Olds College and OCIF. Temporarily housed at Stampede Park, the initiative will include an innovation and education centre, event space, Canada-wide producer network and career platform.
OCIF’s investment in AgSphere will look to support 75 companies and train 450 individuals over five years, including students and the re-skilling of professionals. The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) estimates that by 2030, Canada’s agriculture sector will face a workforce shortage of more than 100,000 workers – a 15 per cent increase from 2023.
“AgSphere is about helping create a collaborative, connected and united agriculture ecosystem where innovation, ideas and new technologies can thrive,” said Brad Parry, president and CEO, Calgary Economic Development and CEO, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund. “This investment strengthens our agriculture sector, drives economic growth and is another step forward in positioning Calgary as the innovation capital of Canada.”
Calgary’s Innovation Strategy is a bold roadmap to make our city Canada’s innovation capital by building sector-specific innovation nodes and funding networks across the city. Successful implementation of the strategy is expected to add 187,000 jobs and contribute over $28 billion to Calgary’s economy by 2034.
Calgary is emerging as a centre of excellence in value-added food processing, protein development, controlled-environment agriculture and energy innovation. In 2024, the agribusiness sector contributed $13.5 billion to Alberta’s GDP and employed more than 76,000 people, according to Statistics Canada.
According to Farm Credit Canada’s Innovation Investment Report, every dollar invested in agriculture knowledge generation yields an estimated $10 to $20 return – reinforcing the high-impact nature of OCIF’s support.