Calgary is making a fresh bid to cement its place as a national leader in agrifood innovation. The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) will invest up to $2.75 million over five years to support the launch of AgSphere, a new hub designed to connect Canada’s agricultural producers, startups, investors and partners under one coordinated ecosystem.
Positioned as a bridge between Western Canada’s agricultural expertise and Calgary’s growing strength in technology and capital, AgSphere aims to boost innovation, accelerate adoption of new tools, attract investment and address a looming workforce shortage in the sector.
“Calgary and Alberta have deep roots in agriculture, and that legacy continues to drive innovation today,” said Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas. “AgSphere will help innovators and entrepreneurs continue tackling global food and energy challenges with creative ‘made-in-Calgary’ solutions.”
A National Agrifood Hub With Local Footing
Temporarily housed at Stampede Park, AgSphere will serve as a multi-use centre featuring an innovation and education hub, event space, a Canada-wide producer network and a dedicated career platform. Founding partners include AdFarm, the Calgary Stampede, Olds College, and OCIF.
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The initiative is expected to support 75 companies and train 450 individuals over five years, including students and mid-career professionals reskilling into agriculture. The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council projects a shortage of more than 100,000 workers by 2030—a 15 percent increase from 2023—underscoring the urgency of talent development.
“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 of Calgary Economic Development and CEO of OCIF. “This investment strengthens our agriculture sector, drives economic growth and is another step forward in positioning Calgary as the innovation capital of Canada.”
Fueling Calgary’s Innovation Ambition
AgSphere is the latest project in Calgary’s Innovation Strategy, a long-term plan to grow sector-specific innovation nodes across the city. The strategy aims to add 187,000 jobs and contribute $28 billion to the local economy by 2034.
Agribusiness is already a major economic driver. In 2024, the sector contributed $13.5 billion to Alberta’s GDP and employed more than 76,000 people, according to Statistics Canada. The province is emerging as a hub for value-added food processing, protein development, controlled-environment agriculture and energy innovation.
OCIF’s investment aligns with national research showing strong returns on agricultural innovation. Farm Credit Canada estimates that every dollar invested in agricultural knowledge generation yields $10 to $20 in economic return.
With AgSphere, Calgary is betting that collaboration—between producers, technologists, educators and investors—will help the city capture an outsized share of that growth while shaping the future of Canadian agriculture.
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