On September 27^th, Manitoba Industry – Academia Partnership (MI-AP) hosted the launch of two strategic roadmaps for advancing economic growth in two sectors:

Digital Agriculture Strategic Roadmap – in partnership with the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI).

Sustainable Packaging Strategic Roadmap – in partnership with Manitoba Environmental Industries Association (MEIA), Food & Beverage Manitoba, Bioscience Association of Manitoba, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), and Supply Chain Canada.

Held at the Victoria Inn and Convention Centre, attendees learned about the strategic priorities identified and specific goals to advance progress in those areas.  Two panels shared their perspectives on the collaborative efforts that led to the strategic plan, the challenges faced by each sector, and the value of working together to achieve the outcomes in the roadmap.

Panel on Digital Agriculture:

Moderator: Jacqueline Keena, EMILI

Liz Pham – Farm Links Solutions

Tim Hore – Assiniboine Community College School of Agriculture

Nazim Cicek – University of Manitoba Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

Chris Bunio – Theory Mesh

Myrna Grahn – MI-AP

Panel on Sustainable Packaging:

Moderator:  Myrna Grahn, MI-AP

Rick Reid – Supply Chain Canada, Manitoba Institute

Michael Mikulak – Food and Beverage Manitoba

Melissa Dorota – Manitoba Environmental Industries Association

Regrets from Kim Kline, Bioscience Association of Manitoba, and Ron Koslowsky, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.

Strategic partnerships among industry, academia, and government will continue to be an important factor in advancing opportunities and successes in these two sectors.  The launch of these roadmaps is just the beginning, and ongoing collaborative efforts are required by key interest holders to support the growth of Digital Agriculture and Sustainable Packaging in Manitoba.  Working groups will be formed around each strategic priority and MI-AP and partners will guide efforts to move progress forward.  If you would like to participate on one of these working groups, please contact Linda Thorlakson at [email protected].