Labour shortages, the need for increased productivity and a focus on sustainable farming practices are factors driving growth in the European market for agricultural automation and robotics. Some estimates predict the value of this sector rising from $7 billion in 2025 to $14.57 bn by 2030.
The need for speed
Japanese agricultural machinery giant Kubota seeks to capitalise on this swelling market by strategically partnering with start-ups and embracing open innovation activities. Speed to market is key. It wants quick access to advanced automation technologies.
“For us it’s obvious that start-ups excel at rapid development through cutting edge technologies,” Batukhtina said. “We partner with those who are faster than us and we are enabling our companies to respond to global challenges and unlock some new value, for instance in speciality crops.”
Time to market is a “major factor” when deciding product launches with the company’s portfolio, she stressed. “Open innovation activities are enabling such opportunities for us.”
Partnerships with the likes of French start-up UV Boosting give Kubota rapid access to advanced automation technologies. UV Boosting developed a unique patented technology that uses high-energy UV-C light flashes to stimulate plants’ natural defence mechanisms. The approach helps growers cut fungicide use and lessen the damage from pathogens and abiotic stresses such as frost or drought.
Kubota puts new autonomous machines (like the Agri Robo KVT, M7 series, and K-Fast sprayer) on established tractor platforms with modular automation retrofits, allowing faster launch cycles than developing new tractors from scratch.
It also leverages global engineering talent and production bases in Europe for rapid multi-market introduction. Its M7004 autonomous tractor, for instance, was ready for the European market soon after technology validation thanks to partnerships with approved tech providers and shared manufacturing.
The pros and cons for start-ups
Open collaboration with larger companies can expose start-ups to significant risks, particularly regarding intellectual property (IP) and resource allocation. But the chance to get to market within a short time can trump the risks.
Cutting-edge tech alone can’t pre-define success, Batukhtina told us. “Conditions can change for start-ups very quickly,” she said. “If they clearly understand that our distribution, service and support is a key factor for succes it’s a win-win business case for them.”
Challenges exist in Europe too. The region is “quite fragmented”, she noted. “We don’t have the scale compared to the US.”
That’s mainly down to a more complex regulatory environment.
“In general autonomous equipment in Europe will face regulatory approval and needs to follow strict guidelines regarding functional safety and security before even being allowed commercially onto the market,” Batukhtina explains.
But she is buoyed by “a wide spectrum” of potential tasks that could be automated on farm. “We are exploring carbon neutrality,” she said, “which is going beyond our promotion of low carbon and decarbonised engines, and we are looking towards new ideas in renewable energy or carbon sequestration… there could be a level of automation there.”
Daria Batukhtina will be at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London on Sept. 22-23. Learn more about the event and register today by visiting the event website here.
