KWS Gateway Research Center Helps Anchor Global Ag Innovation—From St. Louis to the World
Luz Irina Calderón Villalobos speaks during a panel at BioSTL’s Global AgriFood Innovation Summit on Feb. 3, 2026.
Feb. 11, 2026
St. Louis put its global AgTech ambitions on full display during the recent AgTech Week and the BioSTL Global Agrifood Innovation Summit—an international gathering designed to move ideas from concept to adoption through collaboration across startups, global hubs, growers, investors, and established companies held from February 3rd – 5th, 2026. For KWS, the Gateway Research Center (GRC) located at the Danforth Center, continues to serve as a strategic bridge between our global R&D agenda and the U.S. innovation landscape, with St. Louis’ world‑class ecosystem providing the ideal platform to scale promising solutions. According to reporting from St. Louis Magazine, the region's global ag innovation ecosystem continues to gain international attention.
KWS’ presence was felt throughout the week. Dr. Luz Irina Calderón Villalobos, Senior Manager of Scientific Affairs for the Americas, represented KWS on an invite‑only panel, “The Strength of St. Louis,” alongside global leaders from India, Brazil, and local innovators—underscoring why multinational companies choose the region for talent, infrastructure, and collaborative science. Together with Candace Seeve, Senior Scouting & Licensing Manager, they also joined the Summit’s Dolphin Tank sessions, (a softer version of Shark Tank pitches), and a full day of curated, one‑on‑one meetings with rigorously selected startups, engaging on opportunities ranging from early‑stage technology evaluation to potential pilots and co‑development pathways.
These interactions should help advance KWS’ role as a connector between high‑potential innovators and real‑world agricultural impact. “Our presence in St. Louis provides exposure to leading research, entrepreneurial energy, and a forward‑looking network that supports our R&D and product development efforts,” said Dr. Calderón Villalobos.
The Summit’s 2026 focus on regenerative agriculture made the GRC’s mission especially visible. Programming highlighted the urgent need for patient risk capital to support farmer transitions, case studies from the U.S. and India, and a day structured around the Dolphin Tank to probe assumptions and identify scale‑up pathways. Complementary Global Innovation Hubs workshops convened leaders from the U.K., France, Israel, the Netherlands, Latin America, and across the U.S. to compare models to align and build collaboration roadmaps—an approach that mirrors KWS’ belief that progress requires partnerships.
For KWS teams worldwide, St. Louis continues to be a base that accelerates global R&D through proximity to talent and partners, strengthens our U.S. footprint in important agriculture conversations, and a local contributor that cultivates an inclusive, durable innovation economy. The summit’s overall intent is to be a part of an ongoing effort to anchor global ag innovation in St. Louis—and KWS is committed to “showing up,” staying engaged with startups and hub leaders, and helping turn promising ideas into lasting value.
KWS is one of the world’s leading plant breeding companies. Nearly 5,000 employees* in more than 70 countries generated net sales of around €1.68 billion in the fiscal year 2023/2024. A company with a tradition of family ownership, KWS has operated independently for almost 170 years. It focuses on plant breeding and the production and sale of seed for sugarbeet, corn, cereals, vegetables, oilseed rape and sunflower. KWS uses leading-edge plant breeding methods to continuously improve yield for farmers and plants’ resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stress. To that end, the company invested more than €300 million last fiscal year in research and development. *excl. seasonal workforce
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