Demographic and socio-economic numbers show that the labor shortage in the sector is a fact. But for Octinion the focus is clearly on adding quality. 

“Thanks to robotics, we have so many possibilities, much more than a human could ever do. Harvest prediction, picking according to market needs, simply picking when the berries are ripe instead of when workers are available – these are just a few examples of what is possible as of today for a grower,”

says Tom Coen, CEO of the Octinion Technology Group. “The consumer will also notice the difference, as strawberries will be fresher and show less bruising.”

Introducing robots in a sector where almost everything gets done by hand, that’s more of a revolution than an evolution. It calls for close collaboration with all stakeholders. Tom Coen:

“not only have we been working together with growers and test centers across the world for the past couple of years, breeders have also been keen on being part of the technological developments. Growing systems and varieties will adapt to what is more ideal for a robot. We will have a robot driving around at the Dutch Fresh Forward Breeding and collaborations with other breeders to shape the future of the sector. Our door is open for additional breeders.”