Manufacturing. Logistics. Agriculture.

These are the stalwarts of the Hoosier economy. And certainly, they aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’re evolving right along with the economy itself, developing new technologies and even creating new industries, like agbiosciences – the intersection of agriculture, life sciences and information technology. It’s quickly becoming one of the state’s most promising and fastest-growing business sectors.

A COMMITMENT TO INNOVATION

Across the state, Hoosiers are forging ahead, focused on tackling critical world challenges in food security and animal health. In Greenfield, Elanco’s digital transformation is accelerating as the company probes its troves of big data for connections among disease, productivity and animal-health optimization. “We keep coming with a portfolio of innovations,” says CEO Jeff Simmons.

The company is harnessing artificial intelligence to develop new antibiotics for pigs; acquiring IP for probiotic feed for chickens; and leveraging the Internet of Things (loT) for tighter connections to customers ranging from Brazilian cattle farmers to American veterinarians.

Similarly, Corteva Agriscience, a champion of responsible agriculture, is tapping into innovation to help feed a planet of nine billion people and growing. The company, which selected Indianapolis to be one of its leading global R&D hubs following the merger of DuPont and The Dow Chemical Company, is utilizing digital technologies and seed product development tools like gene editing to offer farmers integrated solutions for their most pressing challenges.

Ag innovation leaders are at home in Indiana – the heart of the Heartland – thanks to the state’s rich tradition of agriculture and the talent pipeline being developed here at institutions like Purdue University, Huntington University and Ivy Tech. “We get a front seat in innovation because of all the patents, knowledge and awareness here around the importance of agriculture,” notes Simmons. That’s helped make Indiana a “magnet for talent,” according to Scott Hutchins, former global director of R&D at Corteva Agriscience.

LEADING THE CONVERSATION

Traditionally known for being humble, “Indiana is done being modest,” says Gov. Holcomb. And the industry agrees. The state’s network of public and private stakeholders is uniquely committed to catapulting Indiana’s leadership position in agbioscience excellence and innovation. In 2018, the IEDC and AgriNovus Indiana partnered to co-host the first-ever Forbes AgTech Midwest Summit. The industry; according to Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, “promises to overcome the daunting challenge of feeding the growing population and doing so in a sustainable way. It seemed fitting to come to the center of it all.”

Indiana is indeed at the center of it all, says AgriNovus President and CEO Beth Bechdol. “thanks to the state’s assets in converging spaces like robotics, sensors and ioT.”

“That’s a message we’re delivering to the world,” added IEDC President Elaine Bedel, citing recent industry events in Indiana like the annual FFA National Convention and Agbioscience Innovation Summit as well as ag-focused international delegations led by Gov. Holcomb and Lt. Governor Crouch to Israel and Canada, respectively- all aimed at telling Indiana’s story to industry leaders and startups alike, connecting with outside markets, and bringing investment and jobs to Indiana.

Hutchins credits the state and partners like AgriNovus and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) for making the agbioscience sector a top priority and “creating an environment for investment in ag + bio + science.”