Insider Brief
- The U.K. government opened a £20 million funding round for robotics and automated farming systems designed to move technologies from prototypes into field use while addressing seasonal labor shortages and farm productivity.
- The competition is being run through the Farming Innovation Programme with Innovate UK and is open to agri-tech companies working with researchers and farmers on crop, livestock, horticulture and forestry applications.
- The funding is part of a broader £53 million increase in agricultural innovation support, bringing total farming research and technology funding available this year to £123 million.
The U.K. government has opened a £20 million funding round for robotics and automated farming systems designed to plant, tend and harvest crops, as it looks to ease seasonal labor shortages and improve farm productivity. The competition is intended to support technologies that can move beyond prototypes and into field use, according to the government.
The competition is being run through the government’s Farming Innovation Programme in partnership with Innovate UK, according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Agri-tech companies can apply for funding to work with researchers and farmers on technologies intended for use in commercial agriculture.
The new round forms part of a recently announced £53 million increase in agricultural innovation funding and brings the amount available for farming research and technology this year to £123 million, the government said. The Farming Innovation Programme is part of a broader commitment to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030.
“Farmers work incredibly hard to put food on our tables, often battling to find enough seasonal workers when the pressure is on,” Farming Minister Stephen Morgan said in the announcement. “This funding will help put cutting-edge robots and technology into their hands, easing that burden while boosting yields and profits.”
Projects can cover automation across crop production, including systems for planting, monitoring and harvesting. The government said the funding is intended to help move technologies from early development toward practical use on farms, particularly during periods when growers struggle to find enough seasonal workers.
Expanded to Include Livestock
The program is also open to livestock applications. Defra cited Roboscientific’s DETECT project as one example of the type of technology being developed with public support. The project uses breath analysis to identify signs of bovine respiratory disease in dairy cattle before symptoms become more severe.
Another example is Fieldwork Robotics, which has developed a robot for harvesting raspberries. The company is using government funding to improve the system’s durability and reliability as it works toward commercial deployment, according to Defra.
Ornamental Plants and Forestry Now Included
This round encompasses more than a previous automation competition held in 2023 as applications can also cover ornamental plant propagation and monitoring where the same technology could be applied to food production, as well as forestry projects involving tree nurseries, planting and woodland monitoring.
Applications opened Aug. 3 through Innovate UK’s Innovation Funding Service.
“Working in partnership with Defra, we’re supporting businesses, researchers and farmers to work together to develop technologies that address real-world challenges across agriculture,” added Chris Danks, head of agrifood at Innovate UK. “This competition will help accelerate innovations from concept to on-farm application, supporting solutions that can improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across the sector.”
Image credit: Fieldwork Robotics
