Report proposes a 42-county agtech innovation corridor in NC
A report by a coalition of North Carolina institutions outlines a plan to establish an agricultural technology (agtech) innovation corridor across 42 counties in North Carolina, with a vision of connecting the state’s technology, research and agricultural sectors in ways that broaden how farmers participate in and benefit from agtech innovation.
The report, released on July 16, from RTI International is one of a collection of insights being created as part of the Climate-Responsive Opportunities in Plant Science (CROPS) project, a partnership led by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and including Duke University, East Carolina University, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative at North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, RTI International, and Wake Forest University.
“Our work highlights the potential for North Carolina to lead in agtech innovation by building stronger connections between farmers, researchers, extension agents, and entrepreneurs,” said Amanda Rose, agri-food systems lead at RTI and lead author of the report. “While the state has world-class research institutions and a growing agtech industry, these resources often remain disconnected from North Carolina’s many small-acreage farms and farmers poised to influence and benefit from agtech innovation.”
The report identifies five opportunities to strengthen the state’s agtech ecosystem: bridging research-to-farm gaps, accelerating commercialization, leveraging agtech to improve market access, enhancing ecosystem coordination and developing a job-ready agtech workforce.
“Making closer connections between small, rural farms and the state’s research institutions can only provide positive outcomes,” said Paul Ulanch, senior director in NCBiotech’s focused initiatives group. “We have an amazing agriculture industry in North Carolina, and with a little help and coordination our growing agtech sector is poised to support farmers across the state, and around the world.”
Rural counties have the farms
North Carolina is home to more than 180 agtech companies and a globally recognized research hub in the Research Triangle Park. But the authors note that more than 70% of the state’s 42,000 farms are located in rural counties, and more than half are under 50 acres in size. These farms can face barriers to adopting new technologies, accessing markets and participating in innovation networks.
The report includes several case studies that illustrate the potential impact of the agtech innovation corridor. One example describes how partnerships between farmers and agtech developers could help farmers gain exposure to emerging technologies while providing developers with valuable feedback to accelerate commercialization.
The authors drew from extensive primary and secondary data, including desk reviews, focus groups, and interviews with key stakeholders to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities in the state's agtech ecosystem.
Next steps for CROPS partners include sharing report findings with agtech innovation stakeholders across the state to support strategic planning and resource mobilization efforts. CROPS partners also are compiling and digitizing relevant NC agtech innovation resources and piloting a cohort of Extension Agents to beta test emerging agtech in partnership with an NC-based startup.
Contributing to the report were CROPS partners and external reviewers from the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, NC Department of Commerce, NC Chamber, and North Carolina-based agtech investment firm LeVert Ventures.
CROPS is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Regional Innovation Engines Type 1 planning award.