UC Davis to Receive $1 Million to Create AgTech Innovation Center
Targeted News Serivce -- WASHINGTON, DC -- September 13, 2012 -- Today, Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-01) and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) announced that the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) was one of six awardees nationally, and the only one in California, to receive a $1 million federal award through the Economic Development Administration's (EDA) 2012 i6 Challenge Grant. This grant will be used to create an AgTech Innovation Center that will connect ranchers and farmers with valuable resources to develop their businesses."Agriculture is the economic backbone of so many of our communities in Northern California," said Congressman Thompson. "This new innovation center, housed at one of California's top research universities, will allow our farmers and ranchers grow their businesses through the development of new technologies. And when farmers and ranchers grow their businesses, this grows our entire agriculture economy and creates new jobs."
"UC Davis is one of the top research universities in the nation, and I am pleased that this federal grant will help them develop their AgTech Innovation Center," said Congresswoman Matsui. "Once built, this Center will have a profound impact on the region and the nation; linking our agriculture industry to innovative and new technologies that will sustain our nation's food supply, while fueling job creation and economic growth on farms and in rural communities across America."
The AgTech Innovation Center will connect stakeholders with valuable resources that focus on accelerating entrepreneurial thinking among farmers, ranchers, and researchers in the agricultural field, and develop a network of experts to support entrepreneurs and new ventures. In addition, the Center will create an AgEntrepreneurship Academy, which will help agriculture entrepreneurs identify market needs and opportunities, and create agriculture "food chain" clusters of innovation.
"This is tremendous news," said UC Davis Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi. "UC Davis is the leading university for research at the interface of agriculture, clean technology and sustainability, and this grant will further our efforts to turn this research into jobs and economic development for our region."
Katehi also thanked Matsui and Thompson for their support. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Matsui and Congressman Thompson wrote letters to EDA in support of UC Davis' grant application. The 2012 i6 Challenge Grant is a multi-agency initiative to support the creation of centers for innovation and entrepreneurship. It is designed to encourage and reward innovative, groundbreaking ideas that accelerate technology commercialization, new venture formation, job creation, and economic growth across the United States.
(c) 2012 Targeted News Service
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