Panel Speakers

Harvesting Innovation Together: Cross-Sector Synergies in Agricultural Robotics

When: Thursday, August 28, 2025, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: Ballroom A&B, UC Davis Conference Center

Agricultural robotics is reshaping the future of food production by offering innovative solutions to challenges such as labor shortages, increasing production costs, and sustainable yet affordable farming practices. The successful development and deployment of agricultural robots depends on the dynamic interplay among farmers’ needs and expertise, scientific and technological advancements by academic researchers and industrial innovators, and user training and adoption. This panel will explore the critical roles and collaborative opportunities of these groups in advancing agricultural robotics.

Through interdisciplinary dialogue, panelists will discuss current interaction mechanisms among agricultural robotics stakeholders and explore new models for cross-sector synergies that can accelerate innovation while maintaining product relevance and impact. Topics will include how cutting-edge research in robotics, AI, and sensing technologies can be translated into practical tools for the field, as well as potential obstacles to collaboration and adoption.

Moderator

Stavros Vougioukas

Professor | UC Davis, Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Panelists

The panel members were selected to represent growers (CA and WA), industry (tech+incubator/VCs), and faculty from the USA, Europe, and China with experience in academia-industry-government projects.