New pilot facility to drive agricultural innovation
Tuesday 12th August 2025
New pilot facility to drive agricultural innovation
Earlier this year the UK Government recognised agri-tech, in its Industrial Strategy, as a key industry within Advanced Manufacturing.
The recognition marks a pivotal shift by the Government - acknowledging the sector’s potential to drive growth, enhance productivity, strengthen climate resilience, and reduce agricultural emissions - while prioritising a sustainable and secure food supply for the UK.
This also aligns with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) new food strategy for England, to tackle UK food resilience and enhance supply chains, while protecting nature and biodiversity.
Warwick Agri-Tech, established in 2022, is a pioneering initiative that brings together the expertise of two leading University of Warwick departments – WMG and the School of Life Sciences. By integrating advanced engineering with plant science, the initiative aims to shape the future of agriculture.
As part of this mission, Warwick Agri-Tech has launched a new Pilot Facility featuring state-of-the-art robotics designed to support sustainable food production and accelerate agricultural innovation.
The new facility is based at the University’s Innovation Campus, Stratford-upon-Avon, alongside Warwick Crop Centre, and will be a technology test bed, scaling up the latest innovations from laboratory design to commercial readiness.
Researchers from across the University will be collaborating with industry partners and the Government to de-risk innovation for technology developers, reduce barriers to adoption and drive the implementation of new technology for farmers and growers.
Robots at the facility include:
- Crombot – a crop-monitoring robot that autonomously checks for pest and diseases in glasshouses
- Adaptable Autonomous Towing Mobile Platform (AATOM) – designed to optimise logistics within horticultural operations
- Smart Tree Production System (STPS)– autonomously sorts and grades sapling trees to support the UK’s tree-planting goals
- Autonomous Spot-Precision Application (ASPA) – identifies weeds and applies herbicide with pinpoint accuracy, reducing chemical use by over 90%
Last week growers, tech developers, academics and representatives from Innovate UK and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult were invited to see the new facility and hear more about how Warwick Agri-Tech aims to:
- Reduce reliance on manual labour
- Enhance soil health and biodiversity
- Accelerate commercial adoption of sustainable technologies
Professor David Greenwood, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult at WMG and Director for Industrial Engagement, said: “The emerging needs of the agriculture sector have provided a perfect opportunity for the University to bring together its expertise in manufacturing automation with its expertise in life sciences, to simultaneously develop robots suitable for use in greenhouses and fields, and focus on ways of growing crops which take advantage of the opportunities of automation.
" As the UK struggles with availability of agricultural labour, and high food prices, this promises to unlock nutritious and affordable food for all.”
Professor Miriam Gifford, School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, said: “Warwick Agri-Tech will benefit from the entrepreneurship of WMG and the history of excellence in agricultural innovation from the School of Life Sciences’ Warwick Crop Centre, plus the combined stakeholder groups to inform and enable outputs. The fresh food industries need automation urgently. Warwick Agri-Tech will grow rapidly into research and innovation space to provide workable and precision solutions, taking advantage of substantial funding initiatives.”
Find out more about Warwick Agri-Tech here: Warwick Agri-Tech | Sustainable Innovation for the Future of FarmingLink opens in a new window