Canada’s Bet on AI: Brewing a Smarter Future From Agricultural Waste

SUMMERLAND, BC – June 24, 2026 – In the quiet vineyards of British Columbia, a technological revolution is fermenting. A new project, announced today, aims to do for food production what automation did for manufacturing: make it smarter, faster, and radically more efficient. Protein Industries Canada (PIC), one of the nation's key innovation hubs, is injecting over $600,000 into a partnership between agritech innovator Crush Dynamics and AI specialist Atomic47 Labs. The goal is to build an autonomous fermentation platform that could transform how Canada creates value from its crops, turning agricultural leftovers into high-value ingredients.

The $1.4 million initiative will develop an AI-powered system that uses existing industrial sensors to create a “digital twin” of the fermentation process. This virtual model will monitor, predict, and optimize conditions in real-time, moving a traditionally manual and often unpredictable process into the realm of intelligent automation. For a country striving to become a global leader in plant-based foods, this isn't just an upgrade—it's a fundamental reimagining of a critical industrial process.

A New Era for Intelligent Fermentation

For centuries, fermentation has been more art than science, relying on human operators making reactive adjustments to variables like temperature and pH. This project seeks to flip that paradigm. By integrating advanced machine learning, the platform being developed by Crush Dynamics and Atomic47 Labs will move from reactive decision-making to predictive, real-time control.

“This project is about moving fermentation from reactive decision-making to intelligent, real-time control,” said Karen Olsson, CEO of Atomic47 Labs Inc. Her company, which specializes in building AI for high-stakes industrial environments, will provide the brains of the operation. Their expertise lies in creating systems that can handle complex, dynamic data to improve productivity and consistency. “By combining Crush Dynamics’ fermentation expertise with Atomic47’s AI, digital twin and industrial control capabilities, we are building a platform that can improve consistency, reduce waste, and help Canadian food processors scale more sustainable ingredient production,” Olsson explained.

The system will continuously analyze data from sensors to infer fermentation conditions, flag food safety indicators, and monitor energy performance. This allows for autonomous adjustments that maximize efficiency and ensure a consistent, high-quality output. The potential benefits are significant: reduced energy consumption, less waste, and a more reliable production cycle. For food manufacturers grappling with tight margins and inconsistent supply chains, such predictability is invaluable.

From Grape Skins to Gold

The most compelling application of this technology lies in its potential to tackle the immense challenge of food waste. Crush Dynamics has already built its business on this principle. The agritech firm has a patented process for upcycling agricultural sidestreams—specifically, the polyphenol-rich grape pomace left over from winemaking—into functional, clean-label food ingredients.

These ingredients are not just filler; they enable food manufacturers to reduce sugar and sodium, improve texture, and enhance flavor profiles naturally. With this new AI platform, that process is set to become dramatically more efficient.

“This project is about making more from what we already grow,” said Kirk Moir, CEO of Crush Dynamics. “We're combining our fermentation technology with advanced AI to help transform agricultural sidestreams into high-value ingredients more efficiently and consistently. It's an important step toward reducing waste, improving sustainability and strengthening Canada's food manufacturing sector.”

By making the conversion of byproducts like grape skins more predictable and scalable, the technology unlocks a new revenue stream from what was once considered waste. This aligns perfectly with the principles of a circular economy, where resources are kept in use for as long as possible, extracting maximum value before they are discarded. It’s a tangible example of how advanced technology can provide solutions that are both economically and environmentally sound.

Fueling Canada's National Ambitions

This project is more than just a collaboration between two innovative companies; it's a strategic piece of a much larger national puzzle. The funding from Protein Industries Canada comes via the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS), a multi-billion-dollar government initiative designed to drive AI adoption across the economy.

“With support from Protein Industries Canada... Crush Dynamics and its partners will use AI-driven innovation to strengthen Canada’s food supply chain and reinforce our leadership in global food production,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry. She noted that automating industrial processes like fermentation is critical for Canadian companies to “compete internationally, reduce waste and promote more sustainable food production.”

This investment directly supports PIC’s ambitious “Road to $25 Billion”—a national vision to grow Canada’s plant-based food and ingredient sector into a $25 billion industry by 2035. To achieve that goal, Canada must not only grow crops but also process them domestically, adding value and creating jobs at home. AI is seen as a key enabler.

“Canada’s ability to make more from what we grow relies on our food processors having the tools they need to succeed, and AI systems are an important part of that,” said Protein Industries Canada CEO Tyler Groeneveld. By helping companies improve energy usage and reduce waste, he argues, such technologies strengthen the domestic food supply chain while improving food options for families globally.

This project joins a growing portfolio of AI initiatives funded by PIC, which has already committed over $10 million to projects ranging from AI-powered weed detection to crop quality improvement. It signals a clear and deliberate strategy: to embed advanced technology at the core of Canada's agricultural future, ensuring the nation remains competitive on a global stage where efficiency and sustainability are paramount.