PlantTech Research Institute

PlantTech's founders include eight companies (Bluelab, Cucumber, GPS-It, Eurofins, Plus Group Horticulture, Trimax Mowing Systems, Waka Digital and Zespri International) alongside the University of Waikato and Priority One (the Western Bay of Plenty's economic development organisation). These organisations all share a vision for a collaborative R&D... capability that will improve their global competitiveness, and the regional and national innovation systems they work in. The PlantTech concept has been developed based on international evidence about best practice for regional innovation and the opportunity arises from two related regional needs: firstly, for regional businesses, who need better access to expert knowledge, capability and networks; and secondly, for regional horticultural industries who need to accelerate the development and adoption of new technologies to improve productivity and sustainability. PlantTech's value proposition is therefore in applied scientific research and related innovation at the interface of digital and natural systems, design-led innovation and market drivers from a variety of companies. We aim to be a world leader in enabling customised, precise and automated production systems for premium, natural plant production, management and distribution, and in making these systems accessible to businesses at a range of scales. For the first stages of PlantTech's operation, the focus will be on research to enable digital and automation solutions applied for growers and managers of operations or crops. Our key research themes are in: Data integration and analytics Autonomous devices and vehicles Point of use decision support tools While the Western Bay provides the 'lab' in which the work will be conducted, PlantTech's research will contribute to outcomes in many sectors, and will be commercialised nationally and globally in markets ranging from sports facilities to hydroponics to logistics to other primary industries, as well as horticulture such as kiwifruit. PlantTech's Western Bay of ...Read More