New report maps innovation opportunities to accelerate UK agri-tech growth

The Future of Arable and Horticulture Innovation: Shaping the Next 10 Years
 
A new report published by the UK Agri-Tech Centre sets out a vision for how the UK’s arable and horticultural sectors can harness agri-tech to strengthen productivity, resilience and sustainability over the next decade.
 
Commissioned and developed by the UK Agri-Tech Centre, ‘The Future of Arable and Horticulture Innovation’ looks ahead to 2035 and identifies the enabling technologies and innovation pathways that will drive growth for UK agri-tech businesses and deliver impact across the wider food system.
 
The report highlights that the UK’s agricultural landscape is at a turning point.
 
As climate pressures intensify, labour challenges persist and input costs rise, the need for intelligent, efficient and integrated farming systems has never been greater.
 
Emerging and enabling technologies, from advanced sensing and AI to biotechnology and controlled environment systems, will be critical to meeting these challenges while creating new commercial opportunities for UK businesses.
 
Grounded in interviews and workshops with stakeholders across the supply chain and informed by the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s technical expertise, the report identifies three strong themes to drive new innovation opportunities:
 
•    Climate change mitigation
•    Automation and digitisation
•    Diversification of production
 
Dr Harry Langford, Innovation Director at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said: “For agri-tech to realise its full potential, businesses need both clear pathways and the ability to connect innovations with the complexities of real-world farming.
 
“By linking research technology development with commercial practice, the sector can bridge the critical gaps between concept and adoption, delivering scalable, on-farm solutions.”
 
Building on these themes and to set an aspirational agenda for the sector, the Centre has defined four innovation pathways for technology development within arable and horticulture, over the next 10 years;
 
1.    Intelligent and data-driven agriculture – Deploying AI, robotics and sensing technologies to enable predictive, data-led farm management and precision input use.
2.    Climate resilience and biotechnology – Integrating precision breeding, early detection and next-generation biological tools to deliver adaptive, holistic management under changing climatic conditions.
3.    Regenerative farming and agri-tech – Linking bio-based solutions, agri-tech and MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) technologies to enhance soil health and create measurable environmental and productivity gains.
4.    New and diversified production systems – Expanding controlled environment, circular and alternative protein systems to increase resource-efficient, year-round production.
 
Together, these pathways offer a practical framework for guiding technology development and adoption, helping innovators across the agri-tech sector to turn concepts into scalable, market-ready solutions.
 
Dr Ruth Bastow, Chief Technology Officer at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said: “Real progress depends on developing and adopting innovation that drives sustainable systems.
 
“To grow the UK’s agri-tech advantage, we need joined-up investment, shared infrastructure and a clear vision that aligns science, policy and business.
 
“By working collectively across the sector, we can turn technological breakthroughs into practical tools that drive productivity, resilience and environmental gain.”
 
The report reinforces the Centre’s mission to support agri-tech businesses in developing, testing and commercialising their innovations through access to facilities, expertise and partnerships.
 
By bringing together technology developers, producers, researchers and policymakers, the UK Agri-Tech Centre continues to play a vital role in advancing a globally competitive, sustainable and technology-enabled agricultural sector.
 
To read the full report, visit https://ukagritechcentre.com/report/the-future-of-arable-horticulture-innovation/

For more information about the UK Agri-Tech Centre, visit www.ukagritechcentre.com or take a look at some examples of the work we do with our partner SMEs by visiting the following links:
 
Fotenix - https://ukagritechcentre.com/case-study/accelerating-agri-tech-fotenix/
Outfield Technologies - https://ukagritechcentre.com/case-study/accelerating-agri-tech-outfield-technologies/
Gelponics - https://ukagritechcentre.com/case-study/accelerating-agri-tech-gelponics/