PODCAST: Inari Offers Agility and Innovation in Ag Research
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe new chief product officer for agbioscience company Inari Inc. says you do not need to drive very far to see how important Indiana is for global agriculture. “Indiana hosts many agricultural business and companies that are grown and rooted here in Indiana,” said Claudia Nari, who joined the Boston-based company in March. She relocated to Indiana to help lead the team at its growing research facilities in West Lafayette.
“You just open the door, and you see how the crops are looking. You just drive around and go to the grocery store, and you understand what the mood of the farming community. It’s a great representation,” said Nari in the newest Ag+Bio+Science podcast presented by AgriNovus Indiana.
The company announced in June it was investing $22 million to update to upgrade and expand at greenhouse and research labs at the Purdue Research Park.
“We are increasing the number of employees that we are getting here. (It’s) becoming a center of development for us, as a company, and it’s a critical one,” Nari told podcast and Inside INdiana Business host Gerry Dick. “Our operations here in Indiana are even larger than our operations in Boston.”
Nari formerly worked as a soybean breeder for St. Louis-based Monsanto Inc, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018. She said an opportunity presented itself to leave the corporate world of a major agribusiness and join a growing company which promotes innovation and agility.
“When you work in the large corporate America you have your scope and your framework, the things that big companies do. But the entrepreneurial spirit, the agility and innovation that you see in the smaller companies enable us to really explore much more in depth,” said Nari.
She says by pioneering new technology that unlocks the full potential of seed, Inari hopes to help farmers make the most efficient use of land, water and fertilizer.
“In order to develop products and technology that are going to help us to solve the current and future problems of farming, and develop sustainable solutions, you have to be extremely innovative,” said Nari.
Listen to the complete conversation between Claudia Nari and Gerry Dick in the brand new Ag+Bio+Science podcast when it comes out Monday morning. Plus, click here to view the full lineup of Inside INdiana Business podcasts.