# Protein Industries Canada Proposal

## Executive Summary

## Overview

Delivered in 3 months or less

This proposal describes proposed artificial intelligence (AI) programming delivered to Supply Chain Canada (SCC) by the Vector Institute (Vector). With the seemingly endless applications
of AI to the sector, SCC’s constituents wish to learn how to leverage AI to unlock untapped opportunities that add value across the supply chain. As a world leading centre of AI research
excellence in Ontario, Vector is well-positioned to be a strategic partner in building your constituents’ knowledge and application in this domain.

The following custom workshop has been designed in conversation with SCC, explicitly with its stakeholders in mind.

## About Vector Institute

### Consultant Experience and Responsibilities

- overview of organization

In March 2017, Canada was the first country in the world to announce a national strategy for AI — the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy — with a $125 million investment by the federal government. As a result, the Vector Institute was founded to drive excellence and leadership in Canada’s knowledge, creation, and use of AI to foster economic growth and improve the lives of Canadians. Vector works with industry, institutions, start-ups, and government to advance AI research and drive its application, adoption and commercialization across Canada.
Vector’s scientific network currently includes 500+ active researchers with expertise in machine learning and deep learning, including faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, graduate researchers and affiliates from across Canada, many of whom claim top prizes from the world’s most important conferences and journals.

- experience in executing such a program
- summarize similar work done in the last 3 years

- resumes of principal consultants on both development and delivery
- professional summaries of rest of team that will be delivering program

- identify subcontractors that will be working along with lead applicant

- outline program administration responsibilities during program delivery, pre-program, and after course delivery
- services for participants in program including enrolment, materials, online access and evaluations

## AI and Agriculture

Machine Learning and AI are advanced methods used in Supply Chain to optimize production,
prediction, procurement, personalization, and promotion. These techniques are made possible by
the explosion in data from smart transportation, warehouse sensors, barcode systems, and
automation across entire value chains.

Vector’s technical education starts here, with the data required to leverage these advanced
methods, and it covers key topics in Machine Learning and AI that business leaders must
consider when adopting these methods. From hardware considerations, talent acquisition and,
of course, the algorithms themselves, Vector programming is for-the-job AI education. All of our
offerings include a section on bias and ethics, and we take an interdisciplinary approach to
education that ensures learners from all backgrounds derive value from our programs. Vector
professional development programs are designed for direct and relevant industry application to
solve problems and create measurable and sustainable value.

### Use Cases

- https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2021/02/17/10-ways-ai-has-the-potential-to-improve-agriculture-in-2021/?sh=1ef473417f3b
- focus on sustainable agriculture
- drones for precision herbicide application (Precision AI) - computer vision
- climate change

### Companies

- potential guest speakers?

- Super GeoAI Technology Inc (not in FastLane)
- Bug Mars
- Mycionics
- Vivid Machines Inc.
- Aspire Food Group

## Program Overview

Vector will deliver programming as per the agreed terms below:

Get experience with processing data, training models, and using ML tools. Progress from the fundamentals of machine learning through neural networks (NNs, CNNs, RNNs) and on to reinforcement learning.

- likely shouldn't do anything with deep learning

1. AI Fundamentals and Ethical Considerations (2 weeks)
- NLP
- CV

2. Data Collection, Structure, and Organization (2 weeks)

3. Running and Training a Model

4. 1 month capstone project

## Background

- position Canada as a leading source of sustainable plant protein and plant-based products
- transforms Canada's agriculture and food processing sectors

- using ML solutions to help grow businesses in agrifood sector
- train professionals working in Canada's plant-based ecosystem on key AI concepts, which can lead to successful AI adoption
- participants will come from various backgrounds and might have limited prior experience on AI

- prerequisite courses or pre-read materials

## Budget

- costs for program development and delivery per cohort
- any additional costs

Platinum 5-8
Gold 3-5
Silver 1-2
Bronze and FastLane (all)