Automatic Hitching for total Safety of Farmers when Coupling machinery

Project Information

SIWI

Grant agreement ID: 815751

DOI

10.3030/815751

Project closed

EC signature date 27 April 2018

Start date 1 May 2018

End date 31 August 2018

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

SIWI MASKINER APS
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SIWI (Automatic Hitching for total Safety of Farmers when Coupling machinery)

Reporting period: 2018-05-01 to 2018-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

We validated the technical, commercial and financial feasibility of our business innovation project and established the plan for commercialising our breakthrough technology around the globe. We carefully analysed our target market and identified key market drivers that will fuel the market adoption of our products. To speed-up post-project sales, we fine-tuned our commercialisation strategy and contacted several distributors in our target markets.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Technically, we refined our plan to improve the hydraulics system of our products and on fine-tuning the design of our new system that will be mounted on tractor’s transport block. Our market research focussed on analysing the global agricultural machinery industry, the needs of our target customers and elaborated on the value-added by our technology. We analysed key barriers and risks and established their mitigation actions. We studied our competition landscape in the hitch segment and our freedom to operate analysis validated that our technology does not infringe any patent. Also, we carefully refined our commercialisation strategy and projected sales revenues for 2021-2025.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Our technology completely removes the need of farmers to use an additional tractor and driver in the field enabling cost savings of €33,800/year for farmers. This reduces soil compaction as farmers will perform their operations with one tractor instead of 4, which is the current way of working. This translates into substantial reduction of CO2 emissions, ca. 643 million kg CO2 per year. Our product will enhance farmers’ productivity allowing them to save 2.4hrs per day, by fully automating the change of implements. Hence, the EU economy will save ca. €3.5 million per year, currently wasted on non-value-added activities. Also, the fully automated operation of our system drastically reduces fatal accidents in farms; it was calculated that 6 fatal accidents will be avoided in the EU, enabling savings of ca. 10 million per year for EU society.

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