Check out the article from TechAlliance!
Technology adoption starts with human connection. In the agriculture space, technological developments are advancing the farming industry, but the trusted experts and reliable connections are the reason these innovations having lasting impact. Active and accredited ground truthing, experimentation and a willingness to learn and adapt has positioned Haggerty AgRobotics as a leader in the emerging agriculture robotics and automation industry.
Haggerty AgRobotics is a technology and research company developing relationships with leading agriculture technology companies to commercialize and bring new innovations to farmers in Canada. Searching the global market for the best AgTech available, the company sources the tools that will have the biggest impact and address the most challenges for Canadian crops and works with local farmers to begin early adoption testing.
Implementing and adopting technologies into crop management systems that are centuries old has been a learning curve for farmers. The ground truthing process is essential to this adoption, allowing the Haggerty AgRobotics team to meet face-to-face with potential users of their robots and display their value in real time. Hosting field day demonstrations allows for the comfort of human connection to be the core of the initiatives, as the educated and innovative technology experts have opportunities to de-risk the sometimes-overwhelming tech for farmers and showcase the value of these robots for Canadian crops.
Haggerty AgRobotics Company Ltd. is a recent i.d.e.a. Fund recipient. Supported by a $10-million Government of Canada investment, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the i.d.e.a Fund is led by Innovation Guelph in partnership with five Regional Innovation Centres (RICs): Wetech Alliance, Haltech, Innovate Niagara, Innovation Factory and TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario. The program helps high-potential ventures access the tools they need to succeed by providing financial and business advisory supports to develop or redesign products, services, processes and technologies that reduce impacts on the environment and create made-in-Canada solutions.
The i.d.e.a. Fund propelled extensive data collection and research, with funding being allocated towards resources for technology maintenance, hardware and processor upkeep, and overall system upgrades that enhanced the speed of Haggerty AgRobotic’s research and development as a whole. As recipients of the i.d.e.a. Fund, Haggerty AgRobotics was also provided with connections and consultations with industry experts and advisors that brought new ideas to the team, allowing them to expand on their business model through collaboration. “Agriculture technology has constraints that most tech companies don’t have to overcome,” said Andrew Leest, Manager of Venture Growth at TechAlliance. “Connecting the Haggerty AgRobotics team with other industry experts who have a background in varying industries, we were able to draw conclusions from other business models that could be replicated in the agriculture space, and really got to explore growth opportunities from new lenses.”
Ongoing, Haggerty AgRobotics is focused on its continued efforts to have in-person connections with farmers via trade shows and demo days, creating opportunities for its technology to be on public display. These face-to-face interactions show the importance of these systems and ease the often-scary adoption process for those relying on their crops for their business success. Conducting continued trials comparing its robots to conventional methods, Haggerty AgRobotics is refining its applications year-after-year and positively impacting Canadian crops through the intersecting power of knowledge and technology.
To learn more about the i.d.e.a Fund go to techalliance.ca/idea-fund To learn more about FedDev Ontario, go to feddev-ontario.canada.ca/en