A Salinas AgTech Progress Report
Posted on September 21, 2016 17:00 PM by WGCIT
The key to building an ecosystem is collaboration. On Tuesday, September 20, 2016, agtech pioneers in Monterey County came together to discuss how they are individually—and together—helping address the needs of the community and the agriculture industry as a whole.
During the Salinas Ag Tech Meetup, Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT), the City of Salinas, California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership presented their "progress reports" on their activities in support of the local agtech ecosystem.
Kyle McWilliam-Lopez presented the regional outlook from the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, Brad Barbeau of CSUMB discussed the Monterey Bay Startup Challenge and the CSin3 program with Hartnell College, and Andy Myrick from the City of Salinas shared about the City's efforts to bring the Agtech Ecosystem together citing the example of the Forbes Ag Tech Summit.
Lisa Dobbins, consulting manager of the WGCIT, spoke about the 24 start-up companies now housed in the Center and the latest innovations they are developing. She enlightened the audience with information about the services Western Growers and the WGCIT provides, critical issues growers/shipper/packers face such as a lack of labor and water, and information about technology playing a key role in solving agriculture’s biggest challenges. Dobbins touched on the synergies and collaborative efforts starting to form between the startup and Western Growers’ members and how those relationships will help meet the needs of the local community, state, nation and beyond.
Dobbins mentioned how some of the Center’s residents are making it their mission to help build a local workforce. She spoke about how HeavyConnect has developed an intern program for local college students and how WaterBit is starting to hire graduates from CSUMB’s business school.
The "partners update" event is one of many events hosted by the Salinas Ag Tech Meetup. For more information about future events, visit the AgTech Meetup.