The penetration of automation in the agricultural industry is forging ahead. Yet, the process of changing and hitching trailed implements, a key operation that every farmer performs many times per day, remains manually operated, as it was 50 years ago. Due to this, 40% of farmers deaths in farms are the result of being crushed by machinery such as tractors or implements, with fatal farms accidents costing to the EU society €923 million/year. The need for an automated, strong and reliable hitch system has never been greater.
Listening intently to the needs of our customers, we invested 3 years of R&D to develop industry’s first fully automated hitch system. Our game-changing technology is 10x times better than closest substitutes and allows farmers to hitch their heaviest implements from tractor’s cabin, in less than 10 seconds. This redefines farm operations, enabling farmers to use only 1 tractor instead of 4 which is the current way of working, and brings huge cost savings enabling farmers to recoup their investment in our product in less than 258 working hours.
Currently, our patent protected technology is at TRL6, with the system being optimised in our Danish facilities. With a feasibility plan developed under a Ph1 grant, we now seek a Ph2 grant to fine-tune our industrial-grade high pressure connection system and optimise our Machine Module to certify it for transport on public roads as per 167/2013 R55. Also, we will patent our new Machine Module and fully certify our systems for strength, reliability, and safety. To speed-up market launch, we will showcase our products to key customers who have already expressed their interest.
This will allow us to launch our products in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the US, growing our business by €24 million in cumulative net profits by 2025. This cash-flow is vital to build our new facilities to meet market demand and continue improving our products, ultimately generating 18 new jobs in SIWI production and sales activities.
The objective of the project is to launch in the market our breakthrough product that completely redefines the way farmers and contractors work in the farms.
