Originally Published by Monsanto.
In its continued support of geospatial innovation, Monsanto Company has awarded a $500,000 grant to T-REX, a St. Louis based non-profit business and technology incubator to support the creation of a new Geospatial Resource and Innovation Center.
The new center will be built at the T-REX facility at 911 Washington Ave. in downtown St. Louis. It will provide workforce training and incubator space for start-up companies that are focused on geospatial technology. Additionally, with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) building its new headquarters in St. Louis, T-REX President Patricia Hagen says her organization is “working closely with partners within the NGA as well as those at local organizations, regional colleges and universities on goals targeted toward geospatial education and economic development that can support future talent needs.”
“I am thrilled and honored that Monsanto has chosen to support T-REX in our vision to make
St. Louis an international hub of geospatial expertise and innovation,” said Patricia Hagen, T-REX President. “Once completed, the Geospatial Resource and Innovation Center will enable us to develop space and resources for training, innovation and entrepreneurship that will have significant beneficial, long-term economic effects throughout the St. Louis region.”
Currently more than 200 small companies and start-ups are housed at T-REX, which is also located about two miles away from the NGA construction site.
“Our support of T-REX’s new Geospatial Resource and Innovation Center aligns with Monsanto’s commitment to economic development, entrepreneurship and workforce development,” said Al Mitchell, President of the Monsanto Fund and Monsanto’s Vice President of Community Relations. “We are excited to participate in this unique partnership that will promote new geospatial job opportunities in St. Louis.”
Last December, Monsanto announced its collaboration with Boundless, a geospatial software company and one of T-REX’s largest tenants. Both companies are collaborating on the contribution of open source geospatial code to the Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) community.
