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The Research Triangle Region's Agtech Market
The Room to Grow and the Resources You Need
For your AgTech company to be successful in the Triangle region, you’ll need access to lab space, greenhouses, research and development, funding, partnerships, regulatory support, and new technology. We have everything you need to tap into the Triangle.
Below we’ve shared a preliminary list of resources to get you started.
Alexandria LaunchLabs
Alexandria LaunchLabs is the premier startup platform for life science and AgTech companies. They provide move-in-ready spaces, creative amenities, access to startup capital through their original platform, and engagement with Alexandria’s world-class network.
Research & Development Spotlight
Plant Sciences Initiative
The NC State Plant Sciences Initiative was built to leverage the strengths of the entire university and its history of excellence in agriculture. Key research platforms studied at PSI are Plant Improvement, Data-Driven Plant Science, and Resilient Agricultural Systems. The intersection of these three platforms creates a wealth of data-driven information for industry partners, stakeholders, and growers.
Research & Development Resources
The Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) is a unique, cross-disciplinary instructional center that provides educational services and training to customers both in academia and industry.
The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) was formed in 1984 by business leaders wanting to empower the successful creation and growth of entrepreneurial companies in the North Carolina region.
CED acts as the connective center for all of this to happen. Through high-touch support, education, access to capital, and crucial connections, CED gives entrepreneurs the optimal resources to turn a new company into a success story. Programs like Connect to Capital have enabled entrepreneurs to connect with potential investors via formal introductions–with more than 600 made since 2014.
The Data Science Initiative (DSI) helps ideas become solutions. The DSI seeks to enhance internal capabilities and enable faculty, students and researchers to use data science methods and applications.
Located on NC State’s Centennial Campus, the Institute for Advanced Analytics is the focal point for a university-wide, interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty. The Institute established the nation’s first Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree.
Founded by the National Security Agency, the Laboratory for Analytical Sciences (LAS) is a mission-oriented translational research lab focused on the development of new analytic technology and analysis tradecraft.
The Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory offers nearly 1,500 acres for teaching and research for NC State faculty. Both plant and animal-related units operate on-site, while additional agronomy research is conducted directly by the farm operations staff.
As a private, non-profit, state-funded corporation, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and its Agriculture Sector Development team provide access to the people and resources agtech companies need to jump-start in North Carolina. This includes identifying local talent and working with local government agencies to overcome challenges specific to life science. NCBiotech continues to invest in technology development and company development through grants and loans.
The NC Food Innovation Lab is the nation’s only facility with cGMP capabilities dedicated to supporting the plant-based food innovators of tomorrow. NCFIL has the latest in food processing equipment and expert food scientists from across the state to help food companies and entrepreneurs get their products to market.
Services include:
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) has a unique partnership with NCARS. Together, they co-own the eighteen outlying Research Stations with NC State, as well as provide the superintendent and farm crew for each station.
NC State University is a research powerhouse and a powerful economic engine for North Carolina. The Office of Research Commercialization (ORC) plays a crucial role in this by protecting and promoting University research discoveries and intellectual property, working with and guiding industry partners, and promoting the acceleration of startups. We’re driving economic growth by facilitating the commercialization of research discoveries.
RTI International is a nonprofit organization headquartered in the Research Triangle Park. RTI provides research and technical services, improving the food and agriculture sector’s innovations and strategy to bring new products to market.
Lab & Greenhouse Space
BioLabs North Carolina operates a shared lab and incubator space for life science companies in Durham.
The Chesterfield building is located in downtown Durham’s Brightleaf District, a vibrant area featuring restaurants, retail, entertainment and housing. Vacant since 1999, the Chesterfield was redeveloped in 2017 by Wexford to become a new center of gravity in the life science and technology ecosystem. Duke University leases 100,000 square feet as collaborative lab space and hub for innovation.
Located in the heart of Research Triangle Park, First Flight Venture Center (FFVC) is a high-science, high-impact incubator that serves the initial needs of entrepreneurs and early stage science companies. FFVC offers 25,000 square feet of leasable office and laboratory space for up to 40 emerging high-science, high-impact companies.
Located in Research Triangle Park, The Frontier is comprised of four buildings that provide wet lab space, office space, coworking space, and amenities such as rotating food trucks and fitness classes.
Private-public venture created to foster collaboration and further knowledge in biotechnology, nutrition, agriculture and health.
Centennial Campus is NC State University’s research campus, home to 75 corporate, government and nonprofit partners. The Partnership provides business incubation, complete with wet lab facilities.
Offers flexible full-service wet and dry lab and office space for startup R&D companies. The Lab is managed by the Research Triangle Foundation.
The Duke Phytotron houses six completely closed greenhouse units and 49 miscellaneous chambers. The Phytotron is staffed seven days a week, allowing off-site researchers to run experiments without having to make extended visits. The Phytotron staff has extensive experience growing many species of native and agricultural from different habitats. Phytotron horticulturists are available to provide advice concerning plant cultivation issues.
The NC State Phytotron houses 60 growth chambers, four greenhouses and other miscellaneous chambers that can be used by faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, post docs, commercial researchers and researchers from other universities. Users can pay for a cart that houses seedlings and is attended to by College of Agriculture and Life Science staff. The facility also allows researchers to grow and study plants under various combinations of strictly controlled environmental conditions.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill Greenhouse includes nine houses of allocated space. Area for rent and soil prep are available upon request, with a full time staff to ensure maintenance of the greenhouse standards.