Morning, Thursday, 11th December 2025
Online
This conference will assess next steps for technology, innovation, and AI in UK agriculture. The agenda includes a focus on strategic considerations for funding and investment, improving productivity, supporting adoption, and widening the use of effective practices.
Policy, funding & targeted support
It will be an opportunity to discuss how opportunities can be harnessed for those in the sector, and for national innovation and growth ambitions - following the designation of agri-tech as a key growth sector in the Industrial Strategy, alongside measures signalled through the 2025 Spending Review, such as the £110m commitment for farming grants to boost innovation.
The conference will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess the balancing and targeting of support going forward amid adjustments to departmental budgets and farm-related reliefs, as well as how to address challenges for those in the sector in driving innovation and adoption in the face of ongoing financial pressures.
With innovation designated a central role in achieving long-term aims around food production, environmental stewardship, and sector sustainability, attendees will consider approaches to coherence across funding streams and innovation programmes, alongside options for future funding support and long-term targeting.
Sessions will also consider implications of recent policy changes for long-term planning across the agri-food system.
Development, investment & commercialisation
The agenda will assess strategy for putting in place conditions that will be needed by stakeholders to support scaling of development, investment, and commercialisation, as well as addressing challenges in bringing products to market and turning innovative technologies into practical solutions.
Further discussion will consider the geographical spread of innovation, approaches to tackling variation, and improving access to infrastructure and facilities to carry out R&D.
Automation, AI, data governance & public engagement
Sessions will discuss the evolving role of data and digital technologies in enabling more targeted, efficient, and resilient agricultural systems, as well as AI, robotics, and precision breeding techniques - such as gene-edited crop varieties.
Areas for discussion include options for shared frameworks to support data-driven tools, the integration of AI into crop and livestock monitoring, and the infrastructure needed to support effective use. Delegates will also assess opportunities for promoting confidence in the use of emerging technologies, including approaches to transparency, data governance, regulatory compliance, and public engagement.
Uptake & enablers for scaling up
Further sessions look at options for accelerating the uptake of innovation at scale, including ways to increase farmer involvement in development, routes to adoption for a wider range of farm types, and strategies for improving digital skills on farms - particularly those who are hesitant or facing constraints around cost and reliability.
Priorities for the forthcoming 25-Year Farming Roadmap will be considered, including approaches for putting in place the necessary infrastructure and assurance to support wider deployment, opportunities for utilising technology to address weather challenges and climate adaptation, and key issues around workforce capacity and skills.
Discussion will also focus on priorities for rural connectivity, digital infrastructure, and interoperable data systems to support uptake, as well as assessing frameworks required for benefit-sharing, as well as ownership and privacy.
Additional areas for discussion
- policy & funding:
- aligning agri-tech funding with the 25-Year Farming Roadmap - coordination across programmes and incentives - accessibility for smaller and tenant farms
- devolved national policy and regional fairness - regulatory preparedness under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act - liability, insurance, and transparency for AI-driven systems
- investment & commercialisation: coordination between research, investors, and agriculture businesses - access to growth finance and research facilities - sharing benefit from farm data
- innovation and regulation: safety and agility in approval processes - use of sandboxes and testbeds - regulatory alignment across UK and internationally on AI, robotics, and biotechnology
- data & infrastructure:
- frameworks for ownership, privacy, and benefit-sharing - improving rural connectivity and digital infrastructure - cybersecurity and resilience of farm systems
- governance coordination across departments and devolved administrations
- AI & automation: liability and accountability in AI and robotics - ethical use, transparency in how AI decisions are made, and fairness - testing and assurance frameworks
- environmental outcomes: aligning technology with net zero and biodiversity aims - improving soil, water, and input efficiency - monitoring and reporting frameworks for environmental metrics
- adoption & trust:
- improving communication and transparency on innovation benefits and risks - peer-to-peer learning and regional pilots
- widening access to training and digital skills - support for transition where automation affects rural employment
- skills and workforce: building AI and digital capability - integrating data literacy in agricultural training - workforce adaptation and interaction with seasonal labour schemes
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Department for Business and Trade; and The Scottish Government.
