Virginia Bioscience Commercialization Luncheon- January 2023

Bridging Academia and Industry - Agtech Research at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

As a state-supported entity, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) occupies a unique niche in the field agricultural research. Unlike academia, IALR researchers do not train students, and unlike industry, IALR cannot manufacture, promote, and sell a product. Instead, researchers have the ability to partner with academia and venture into new areas without the constraints of often unavailable, highly competitive grant funding. IALR scientists also team with industry, capitalizing on knowledge of fundamental research and guided by industry principles of robust IP, ownership, scale-up, and shelf life.  Focus areas include plant biostimulant and biocontrol development and research, advanced imaging and robotics, analytical chemistry, and controlled environment agriculture in partnership with Virginia Tech. Utilizing this “toolbox” along with expertise from researchers with diverse backgrounds, the IALR research division seeks to develop new business opportunities and university collaborations as well as to stay at the forefront of new trends in agricultural technologies.