UK Commits £12.5m to Advance Automation for Sustainable Farming

On By Mei Cooper

At the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit this week, Farming Minister Mark Spencer announced that nineteen innovative projects developing automation and robotic technologies will receive £12.5 million in government funding to increase sustainable farming, productivity, and food security.

Credit: Suwin/ Shutterstock Drones will become an important part of agri tech’s future.

This brings the total government funding for industry-led research and development in the UK to £120 million since 2021. Funded by the Farming Futures Automation and Robotics competition, the products include developing systems to accurately predict and enhance the quality of strawberry yields, optimize labor and harvesting schedules, use drones to create a new system of digitally mapping and monitoring vineyards, and a navigation system for field-based robotic vehicles, aiming to enhance accuracy and reliability, enabling safe navigation in farmyard and field operations. 

At this summit, Spencer reiterated the government’s commitment to oversee the transformation of the UK into a world-leading agri-tech hub. Spencer outlined the Farming Innovation Program’s range of competitions that support the sector to invest in new technology that will help grow their business and benefit the environment. This program includes £10 million on offer through the third round of the Small R&D Partnerships competition to encourage businesses to develop new farming products and services and commercialize them on the open market. Furthermore, £4.5 million is on offer through the Feasibility Studies to support businesses and researchers in testing projects that strive for productivity, sustainability, and farming resilience. 

New accomplishments also include the Farming Investment Fund investing in technology, equipment, and infrastructure. Moreover, the recently launched Investor Partnership competition incorporates government grant funding with private investment to help smaller agri-tech businesses grow and scale up to the open market. 

At this summit, Mark Spencer also suggested opportunities such as the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act to further technologies that improve the productivity and resilience of crops, attract investment for farmers, and generate revenue for farmers through access to nature markets. 

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