An international seed company was formally welcomed to Aggieland yesterday Thursday.
Advanta closed research and development centers in Argentina and India, and moved those operations to College Station as part of an agreement with Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
Those decisions were based on recommendations by Alberto Leon, who is Advanta’s director of global research and development.
The College Station center currently has 22 employees, a number Leon says could triple in five years.
Advanta, which is based in the United Arab Emerates, also has business offices in 11 countries on six continents.
Also competing for the Advanta center were Kansas State University and other locations in the United States, India, Australia, Singapore, France, Brazil, and the corporation’s base in Dubai.
Click below for comments from Alberto Leon, visitng with WTAW’s Bill Oliver.
News release from Advanta Seeds:
Advanta Seeds, a global agriculture company specializing in seeds and agricultural solutions, opens a new state-of-the-art biotechnology facility in College Station, Texas, USA.
The new Biotechnology Center is a result of a ground-breaking partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Research headquartered at Texas A&M University in College Station. “We are pleased to form this partnership and look forward to discovering new crop technologies to meet the challenges of an ever-expanding global population,” said Dr. Craig Nessler, Director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research in College Station.
The center will accelerate Advanta Seeds research and development capabilities for the company’s key crops – sorghum, corn, vegetables sunflower, canola and rice.
“The completion of this new biotechnology center is part of our corporate commitment to farmers and food security,” commented Bhupen Dubey, Advanta Seeds CEO. “The UPL Group, that Advanta Seeds is a part of, invests heavily into the agriculture future.
It all started with finding the best research partner compatible with our R&D projects and technology which led us to Texas A&M AgriLife Research.
We have considered 10 candidates from countries where our business operates, but Texas A&M AgriLife Research proved to be the best choice with clear and business-friendly policies which is crucial for making available new technologies to farmers quickly.
Additionally, the state of Texas has very clear regulations and policies regarding seeds import, which is very important for conducting international research.”
The Advanta CS Biotechnology Center will support Advanta Seeds local and international research programs. College Station is furthermore an important location for one of Advanta Seeds key crops – grain and forage sorghum.
“We are a leading company in sorghum traits development and providing farmers with the most suitable seeds and technology for their environment. We are the first company in the US who launched Aphix™, the SCA tolerance range of sorghum hybrids.
Under our local brand Alta Seeds we are providing US and Mexico sorghum growers with the most advanced seeds’ technologies tested and developed in the local environment,” shared Ben Adams, Advanta Seeds Business Director North America.”
Our partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Research, which has advanced sorghum programs, is very important for our products.”
“Advanta CS Biotechnology Center will be a heart of Advanta Seeds innovation. The new center is created based on Advanta’s 60 years of experience in plant genetics, latest technology and the best of talent,” said Dr. Alberto Leon, Advanta Seeds Global R&D Director. ”This would not be possible without the support we have received from Texas A&M AgriLife and Research Valley Partnership.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research is recognized internationally for its ground-breaking discoveries in agriculture and the partnership is very beneficial for both organizations.
As part of the partnership agreement, Advanta Seeds will provide an internship opportunity for graduate students.”
With the opening of the Advanta Seeds Biotechnology Center, Advanta Seeds is hoping to bring new generations of seeds to growers and improve the sustainability and profitability of farming.
News release from the Research Valley Partnership:
The Research Valley Partnership in collaboration with Texas A&M Agrilife Research sees another project to completion today as Advanta Seeds, a global agriculture company specializing in seeds and agricultural solutions, opens a new research and development facility in College Station.
The state-of-the-art biotechnology center, located in Texas A&M’s Research Park and will focus on increasing capabilities for Advanta’s key U.S. crops – sorghum, corn, vegetables, sunflower and canola.
Agriculture is a major driver of the county’s economy,” said Brazos County Judge Duane Peters. “Having a globally recognized seed company performing research on crops that farmers everywhere rely on is a shining example of how academic research being conducted has global impact.”
Advanta’s College Station biotechnology center is part of the company’s investment and commitment to farmers and food security and adds to their 60-year experience of researching plant and plant genetics. Having already hired 20 professionals from PhD scientists to laboratory assistants, as part of their partnership agreement, Advanta will also provide internships to Texas A&M Graduate Students.
“Utilizing Texas A&M’s resources and faculty and students to attract research and development efforts from global companies like Advanta Seeds is exactly why our Partnership is so important,” said Casey Oldham, Chairman of the Partnership Board.
We’re seeing success when we leverage Texas A&M in conversations about industry’sneed for research and development. Texas A&M and Texas A&M Agrilife Research are major value propositions in our ongoing attraction strategy.” As the Partnership’s commitment to economic growth continues, the addition of Adavanta is significant in the growth of research and development capabilities in the Research Valley.
“Adding Advanta Seeds to our corporate community continues to diversify our market and helps us compete globally,” said Matt Prochaska, President and CEO of the Research Valley Partnership. ”Ground breaking research is happening here and we are thrilled to support their growth and champion their success.”