Originating as an advisory board within the United Kingdom’s Department of Trade and Industry, Innovate UK became an independent agency in 2007. With an approximate budget of £1 billion, Innovate UK is committed to accelerating the UK’s economy through technological innovation across multiple business sectors. Many of the projects the agency supports focus on drone technology, as the UK aims to become a world leader in drone applications through its Future Flight Challenge.

So far, the agency’s Future Flight Challenge has awarded hundreds of millions of pounds to drone-related projects spanning healthcare logistics, advanced air mobility and infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and security, to name a few.

Recently, Innovate UK announced a new project using drones to support a £377 million domestic industry: strawberry production. The agency is funding the initiative as a collaboration between the UK’s leading berry supplier Angus Soft Fruits, the UK Agri-Tech Centre, and Polybee.

The UK Agri-Tech Centre is a research and development organization focused on ensuring sustainable food security by bridging agriculture, technology, and policy. According to its website, the Centre aims to promote “innovative and resilient agrisystems that adapt to ever-changing global challenges affecting agriculture and its partner industries, positively impacting the planet and driving economic growth for the UK.”

To help achieve this mission, the organization contracted Polybee, an agri-tech development company founded in 2019 and headquartered in Singapore, with a subsidiary in Australia, to trial a drone pollination system aimed at improving strawberry yields in grow houses used by Angus Soft Fruits. Polybee uses drones and AI systems to gather comprehensive data on both open-field and protected (indoor) crops. This data is then used to develop 3D crop maps for optimal assessment of plant health, harvesting guidelines, yield predictions, and more.

While implementing their drone platform, Polybee’s founder and former research scientist at the National University of Singapore, Siddharth Jadhav, noticed an unexpected benefit. As the drones flew over crops, the wind generated by their blades caused foliage to move. Mr. Jadhav realized that by flying the drones slightly lower to the plants, he could both collect critical data and create air disturbances to efficiently spread pollen, effectively mimicking the natural pollination process.

Angus Soft Fruits grows its strawberries in polytunnels and glasshouses, allowing them to control temperature conditions, extend growing seasons, and reduce the need for chemical pest control. These structures also protect the delicate fruits from damage caused by weather. However, growing indoors means that natural pollination from bees and wind is less effective, often resulting in reduced yields and lower fruit quality.

By deploying Polybee’s drone system, Angus Soft Fruits and the UK Agri-Tech Centre aim to improve productivity and quality in the UK’s strawberry production industry. The drones will fly over protected crops, creating controlled air movement that mimics wind pollination. At the same time, onboard cameras and sensors will collect data to support optimized growing and harvesting practices.

Soft fruits like strawberries represent the UK’s most profitable domestic fruit industry. If successful, the project, titled Precision Pollination for Higher Strawberry Productivity and Quality, could serve as a model for other sectors. Katie Clark, Project Manager at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, expressed optimism about its potential. “By combining cutting-edge drone solutions with the knowledge of leading growers and agri-tech specialists,” she said, “we aim to drive meaningful advancements in food security and sustainability for the UK and beyond.”

As Innovate UK continues to invest in forward-thinking technologies, projects like this drone-powered pollination initiative highlight the potential for innovation to transform even the most traditional industries. The labor-intensive agricultural sector has already shown tremendous benefits from drone technology. By integrating advanced drone systems with agricultural expertise, the UK is not only enhancing food production but also paving the way for more sustainable and resilient farming practices. With continued support and collaboration across sectors, initiatives like this could set a global benchmark for the future of agri-tech and food security.

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