Pillar II

Capturing Market Opportunities by Advancing Research Results

Among the challenges facing the agriculture and agri-food sector is to make research readily transferable into the marketplace, and thereby foster the development of value-added opportunities and generate economic growth. Governments and non-government institutions alike have been making large investments in agriculture and agri-food research, but moving the results of this research into mainstream industry practice requires adaptive research and various other pre-commercialization activities.

Pillar II of the ACAAF program, "Capturing Market Opportunities by Advancing Research Results," focuses on helping to create market opportunities within the agriculture and agri-food sector by supporting the transfer of research results from governments, industry, and educational institutions. This pillar is aimed at leveraging research results into market opportunities, strengthening the capacity of the sector to commercialize research results, encouraging business growth, and improving the sector's international competitiveness.

Eligible Activities

Project proponents must be able to demonstrate that there is potential for market application of the product, process, or technology that has resulted from research. The project should be directed at benefiting the sector more broadly and at maximizing the "public good" (a good or service aimed at maximizing societal, community, environmental and/or economic benefits). As the focus is on pre-commercialization activities, ACAAF funding under Pillar II is provided for adaptive research and not for basic research and applied research projects as defined:

Adaptive research: the transfer and an adaptation of pre-existing research results to provide the basis for a potential market opportunity (eligible for partial funding)

Basic research: experimental or theoretical work which is undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge without a specific application in view.

Applied research: research aimed at gaining knowledge or understanding to determine the means by which a specific, recognized need may be met in a timely manner.