The growth of interoperability in agri-tech equipment and software has prompted a meeting of minds for industry players ahead of this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.
Andrew Cooke, chief technology officer for Map of Ag and CEO of Rezare Systems said in recent years the ecosystem of developers, designers, engineers and innovators within New Zealand’s agritech sector has become more connected as systems become more capable of interacting across software platforms.
“Going back a few years when we started developing tech, the software and hardware would be very self-contained. You would also have to build a web application and an app and it would stand alone and could not ‘talk’ to any other system.”
While this tech is still there, the pre-Fieldays get-together to swap ideas and views comes in an environment where technologies tend to cross-pollinate more.
“And the last year or two there have been quite a few initiatives, whether through AgriTech NZ or through the government or industry co-operatives. Those years have also had a lot of Teams and Zoom meetings, so this is an opportunity for people to get together to discuss and kick around new ideas.”
He welcomed the opportunity to support data integration and data innovation as the sector continues to advance in a funding environment that has shifted over that time.
“We are watching closely how funding goes in the coming year. There is a two-speed funding environment developing here. At one level some small organisations are finding venture capitalists are growing tired of their particular area and are finding it hard to raise finance. We have seen some struggle.”
Tauranga-based company PlantTech was recently liquidated as its development funds dried up and commercial ventures took a hit.
At the other end of the funding spectrum, companies with a clearly defined solution to a farming problem that have demonstrated an ability to execute that idea commercially are still getting strong funding interest.
Cooke pointed to Australia-based Ceres Tag, a GPS animal-monitoring tag as one example.
Meantime, as a regular judge of the Fieldays Innovation Awards, Cooke said he is still seeing plenty of evidence both farmers and startup companies are developing solutions to farm problems.
“There is a good bunch of entries again this year, which is good to see after all the disturbance of the past couple of years.”
In the past the innovation awards have proven the starting point for products that have advanced well down the commercial path, including Ubco electric bikes and Halter remote monitoring collars.
“You do not need to enter to win. If you are there you are getting exposure and that is valuable.”
The pre-Fieldays tech gathering for those interested in agri-data and tech is to be held Tuesday November 29 at Waikato Innovation Park conference centre, from 4pm.