Cultivating PA’s Ag Tech and Robotics Ecosystem

If you plan a visit to State College in mid-August, you might assume it to be a bit quieter than its usual buzz of academic-related activity. But each year around that time, State College and Centre County come alive for the largest outdoor agricultural exposition in the state, Ag Progress Days. The three-day event is an occasion to celebrate and disseminate nearly 170 years of agricultural innovation, research, and extension pursued by Penn State University under its mission as the Land Grant University of the Commonwealth. It serves as an important venue to connect with many of the industry, government, non-profit, and academic partners important to Team Pennsylvania and an opportunity to forge new connections aimed at fostering economic growth for agriculture in Pennsylvania.

This year, Team Pennsylvania partnered with Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences to organize a session, Cultivating PA’s Ag Tech and Robotics Ecosystem, that brought together professionals from the tech and robotics fields and leaders in the state’s agriculture industry. Advancing tech-enabled approaches to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and profitability for Pennsylvania farmers and agribusinesses is a goal of Team PA identified through the work of its Advanced Agriculture Cross-Sector Collaborative.

The informative presentations and panel discussion overviewed Penn State’s Technologies for Agriculture and Living Systems Center, highlighted Southwest Pennsylvania’s robust tech and robotics ecosystem, and shared insights from a variety of agriculture industry experts on the current and future roles of tech and automation in their fields. Kelly Kundratic, Agriculture Policy Director at Team PA, facilitated a question and answer session where panelists emphasized the importance of industry leaders working among themselves to get clear about their most pressing opportunities for technology, while also echoing the desire to deepen connections between those involved in agriculture and the state’s plentiful and growing community of roboticists and technologists.

“This is a perfect example to showcase the value of Team Pennsylvania”, said President & CEO, Abby Smith, “The technology and robotics innovation happening in southwestern PA is world-renowned, as is Pennsylvania Ag. By actively connecting these two communities of excellence, we accelerate opportunities for innovation, encourage novel applications, and unlock tremendous economic opportunity.”

Following the event, attendees gathered for a networking reception at the Pasto Agricultural Museum. This unique venue showcases a collection of artifacts, tools, and technology dating from 4,000 BC to 1940 AD, and was a fitting backdrop for fostering relationships between present-day agriculture and technology leaders and discovering new possibilities for collaboration on behalf of Pennsylvania agriculture.

Thank you to our panelists and special guests Representative Paul Takac, Kevin Dowling (Robotics Factory), Dr. Christina Grozinger (Penn State), Dr. Melissa Cantor (Penn State), Chris Alonzo (Pietro Industries), Maggie Travis (Rice Fruit Company), and Vanessa McGrath (Burro), as well as our partners at the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences for teaming up to host this event.