Robotics is reshaping UK agriculture, helping to address labour shortages, reduce reliance on seasonal workers, and support more efficient and sustainable production systems. To accelerate the adoption of these technologies, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) has partnered with Upcycled Plant Power (UPP) and S&A Produce (UK) Ltd under Innovate UK's AgriScale Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Program.
© MTC
Developing autonomous soft-fruit robots
The partnership will focus on advancing and commercialising autonomous agricultural technologies. Through March 2026, MTC will work with S&A Produce to refine EVE, an autonomous robot designed for soft-fruit husbandry. The collaboration includes scaling up production and achieving CE certification to ensure safe and effective deployment on farms.
Engineering automated broccoli harvesting systems
MTC is also supporting UPP in developing its automated broccoli harvester. Unlike conventional harvesters that collect only broccoli heads, UPP's design captures both heads and stalks. The stalks, typically left as field waste, can be processed into plant-based protein and fibre ingredients, creating additional value streams from the same crop.
AgriScale initiative presented at World Agri-Tech Summit
The AgriScale pilot was highlighted at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit by Defra Minister Dame Angela Eagle. MTC is delivering the program in collaboration with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Warwick Manufacturing Group, combining robotics engineering expertise with advanced manufacturing and scale-up support.
Strengthening UK food systems through automation
"We're thrilled to be part of the AgriScale pilot," said Andy Barnes, managing director of civilian sectors at MTC. "Working with UPP and S&A Produce allows us to apply our robotics and scale-up capabilities to strengthen UK food supply chains, improve productivity, and enhance food security with scalable, smarter solutions."
Preparing soft-fruit automation for commercial rollout
"Being selected for the AgriScale program is a key step for S&A Produce," said Edward Palmer, group technical director. "It will enable us to move closer to early commercialisation of EVE and bring transformative automation to soft-fruit production."
Reducing crop waste through robotic harvesting
"Broccoli is one of the UK's most valuable crops, yet up to 70% of each plant goes to waste," said Mark Evans, CEO of UPP. "Our automated harvester captures more of the plant in a single pass, boosting productivity, reducing labour costs, and improving harvest quality. This approach transforms a high-value, low-margin crop into a high-value, high-margin crop for UK farmers."
Evans added that the collaboration marks progress toward an automated selective harvest and side-stream processing system, which would support efficiency, sustainability, and digital traceability from seed to store across UK vegetable production.
Source: Eureka!
