Ten ag bioscience milestones in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — As 2024 comes to a close, AgriNovus Indiana is celebrating a year of accomplishments in the states ag bioscience sector.

“In ag bioscience, we have much to celebrate from 2024,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana, in a newsletter.

“From headlines touting new commercial ventures to the scientific advancements, the year was one of continued momentum and innovation.

“While we have much to celebrate, we also have much yet to do. Hunger continues to plague people around the world. Commodity markets continue to create economic challenges for producers, and the entire food chain remains in a battle for talent — from the fields and feedlots to laboratories and greenhouses.

“This agbioscience economy exists to produce the food needed for life. It’s a reality that makes this the only economy in the world that touches every person on the planet.”

The organization shared 10 highlights from 2024.

1. AgriNovus releases research results. AgriNovus released research that found Indiana’s ag bioscience sector contributes $69.6 billion to the state’s economy and employs more than 147,000 people. “Accelerate 2050: A Vision for Indiana Agbioscience” identified forces expected to shape its global competitiveness: bioinnovation, farmer-focused innovation and food is health.

2. Investment in Indiana grows. Indiana continued to grow as a destination of choice for companies seeking relocation or growth in 2024, including Vital Farms, BioBond and AgroRenew. Significant investments in Indiana were also made by Elanco, Sustainea, Nexus W2V and more.

3. New partnerships announced. Ag bioscience companies announced new partnerships in 2024 to address some of the industry’s greatest headwinds — from on-farm profitability to food access. With a focus on uniting strengths to drive innovation, the industry saw partnership announcements from Corteva Agriscience, Elanco, Purdue University, Primient, Biodyne USA, John Deere and more.

4. Innovation District is coming. Elanco and Purdue announced the addition of the OneHealth Innovation District — a research hub dedicated to optimizing the health of people, animals, plants and the planet. The shared-used facility will sit near Elanco’s new global headquarters in Indianapolis and is designed to deliver and scale innovation where industry and academia can collaborate.

5. BioMADE makes connection with Indiana. BioMADE, a manufacturing innovation institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, announced Indiana on a shortlist of six states considered for a network of bioindustrial manufacturing pilot facilities. The network will allow U.S. companies to transition bioproducts from lab to commercial production domestically.

6. RALLY welcomes thousands of guests. RALLY, a global cross-sector innovation conference focused on creative collisions and new innovations, welcomed 5,000-plus attendees. Food and ag innovators pitched their startups as part of the $1 million in-prize pitch competition, which was won by Insignum AgTech.

7. Innovation accelerates. Entrepreneurship continued to accelerate in 2024 with Anu winning the HungerTech Innovation Challenge focused on food security, and technology startup Gripp won the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge focused on administrative burden for the farmer. The challenges will transition into a year-round accelerator program called Velocity starting in 2025. Learn more at https://agrinovusindiana.com/velocity/.

8. QUADRANT creates community. AgriNovus continued to explore forward-thinking discussions and groundbreaking technologies at QUADRANT, a gathering of innovative minds from all corners of ag bioscience. QUADRANT will return in 2025 and sponsorships are available to those who are interested. Email lfritz@agrinovusindiana.com to get more information.

9. Podcast launches video. The Agbioscience podcast launched video in 2024, hosting 65-plus episodes with leaders and innovators across food, animal health, plant science and agtech. Agbioscience was named in the top 5% of all podcasts worldwide by ListenNotes. Season 8 launches on Jan. 6. Subscribe at www.youtube.com/@AgriNovusIndiana.

10. Field Atlas gains momentum. Field Atlas continued to foster connection between young people and careers in ag bioscience through its website, on-campus ambassador program and company tours. A new mentorship program, AMP, will launch in 2025 to connect late college and early professionals to industry leaders in ag bioscience. Learn more and apply at https://myfieldatlas.com/amp/.