Innovation

The Innovation Zone features innovators from across the fresh produce spectrum providing attendees and exhibitors with a unique opportunity to learn about the products and services which are disrupting the industry.

Location: Trade Show floor, booth 2835
Wednesday, April 9

1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Thursday April 10

11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Participating companies

XiteBio® Technologies Inc., a Canadian innovative ag-biotech company providing leading-edge microbial technology and ag-biological solutions in North America. XiteBio’s IRD (Innovation, Research & Development) Centre researches & develops unique inoculants & biological products that benefit producers’ bottom lines. XiteBio’s motto is to deliver genuine value to our distributors, dealers and producer customers through innovative vegetable and other crop production technologies. XiteBio’s unique product line includes XiteBio® Vegi+; a world-wide patented phosphate-solubilizing bacterial ag-biological for vegetables grown in home gardens, fields & greenhouses. For further information on other XiteBio® product lines and technologies visit www.xitebio.ca.

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Datahex is a leader in digital transformation, providing innovative solutions like Paperless Forms, MyHaccpPlan Web, and Supplyline to help businesses streamline operations and ensure compliance. Our Paperless Forms replace manual processes with real-time digital workflows, while MyHaccpPlan Web simplifies food safety management, and Supplyline optimizes supplier compliance. Beyond software, we offer training, auditing, consultation, and support to help businesses stay efficient and compliant. With a commitment to innovation and sustainability, Datahex delivers smart, scalable solutions that enhance productivity and drive a seamless transition to a fully digital future.

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The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a new international border crossing between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, scheduled to open in fall 2025. This state-of-the-art facility will deliver unparalleled benefits for supply chains, industry and commercial users that are moving people and goods through this key trade corridor. The new crossing includes advanced onsite processing facilities and highway-to-highway connectivity providing a seamless crossing experience at the centre of North American trade. Managed by Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will service the U.S west, midwest and south, along with Mexico, southwestern Ontario and Quebec.

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Tool Zero helps growers and shippers effortlessly integrate sustainable practices into their operations. Our automated carbon management software calculates your carbon footprint by analyzing your existing invoices—no spreadsheets or extra work required. With Tool Zero, you’ll stay compliant, maintain crucial market access, and achieve your environmental goals with ease. Stop by our booth to discover how simple sustainability can be.

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CubeWorks is redefining supply chain monitoring with next generation real-time IoT tracking solutions. NanoTag, CubeWorks' latest product offering, provides users with a complete system for location and temperature tracking of temperature-sensitive food and other perishables in a smart label form factor. Alongside XTcloud™, CubeWorks' proprietary cloud platform for data management and analytics, NanoTag provides in-transit temperature and location monitoring at an unprecedented price point.

Born out of the University of Michigan Integrated Circuits Lab, CubeWorks addresses critical supply chain monitoring needs with products based on core technology developed by leading researchers and pioneering research in ultra-low power computing. 

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BloomIQ Technologies brings AI to the produce industry, centralizing data and analytics, to predict supply and demand. BloomIQ creates a more efficient and predictable supply chain while reimagining the industry into an engine for a more equitable, sustainable planet.

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Kitchen uses the finest ingredients to make the best-tasting sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, and sauces. Our kraut, kimchi, and pickles have a delicious crunch thanks to their rustic cut and our sauces provide a rich, flavor-packed boost of fermented vegetables that is a perfect addition to any meal.

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QUIPER pioneers innovative technologies, developing natural and sustainable solutions that extend fresh produce shelf-life. We dramatically reduce fruit and vegetable waste, fostering an efficient, responsible, and profitable supply-chain for producers, retailers, and consumers while contributing to a greener future. Committed to excellence and relentless innovation, continuously refining our products, setting new sustainability standards for the industry. Join QUIPER in reshaping retail, creating a healthy and sustainable environment for future generations. Our advanced technologies not only extend freshness but enhance quality, ensuring peak conditions for consumers. Together, let's cultivate a world where freshness endures and global waste diminishes.

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Just Vertical Commercial helps farmers and growers maximize their potential by providing custom, year-round hydroponic farming solutions. Our farms are designed to fit any space—whether large or small, conventional or unconventional. We work with you to plan, design, and install a system tailored to your unique needs, without minimum or maximum square footage requirements. Our flexible approach allows for seamless integration into your existing operation, enabling you to diversify revenue streams and grow fresh produce all year long. We empower farm operators to run the system themselves, ensuring long-term success and sustainability with support when it's needed.

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AgriTech North is an Indigenous owned-and-operated Beneficial Corporation (B-Corp) with a core mission to expand affordable, year-round fresh food production to every region of Canada—with emphasis on rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. Operating as a Living Lab, Research & Development Centre, we investigate and develop patentable innovative solutions, focused on overcoming the barriers to achieve financially viable and sustainable, net-zero, energy-independent systems.

Serving a variety of clients—local growers, Indigenous organizations, academic institutions, and commercial operations, we also function as a training and demonstration hub. Our approach combines social impact with commercial acumen to balance profitability and community.

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Cooldat and Kainon Technologies have teamed up in the Innovation Zone to exhibit two complimentary technologies which growers and greenhouse operators can use to get an edge on their competition.  Cooldat is a Cold-chain tracking Solution which enhances the PTI (Produce Traceability Initiative) with cost effective RAIN RFID temperature dataloggers and AI-powered software to enable predictive shelf life and dynamic pricing.   Kainon Technologies offers the K-ONE panel set to replace conventional glass in greenhouses with significantly better insulation against temperature extremes and with the hemispherical transparency that doesn’t compromise growth yield.

Websites:

https://www.cooldat.ai/
https://kainontech.com/