In this latest episode of Business Planet, we travel to the Netherlands to see how inventors will benefit from the European Unitary Patent system, which came into effect on June 1. From solar panel projects to agricultural automation, Europe could see more innovation – and fast.
Nescio Farm in the southwestern Netherlands is a smart farm, home to 180 cows and several robots that collect the grass, feed the animals and even milk the cows.
"It's really changing farmers' lives," says Martijn Boelens, the Chief Technology Officer at Lely. "It’s having a big impact on their social lives, on their ways of working, how they can treat their cows, how cows' lives are even getting better because they make their own choices, they have freedom to move to do whatever they like at the time they like. It’s the whole concept of robotic milking and, of course, technically it’s a very big challenge.
Revolutionising Dairy Farming with Milking Robots
"Our big game is robotising but also everything around data, data usage, how can we make farmers’ lives better, easier, better use of data, of AI. We look for things is that don’t exist yet, so changing really methods of farming," explains Boelens.
Europe's commitment to fostering innovation is evident through remarkable projects – from floating solar farm to revolutionary milking robots. The introduction of the Unitary Patent signifies a significant milestone in harmonising patent protection across the bloc. By streamlining the process and reducing costs, the fast-tracked system encourages inventors to continue pushing boundaries and transforming their ideas into reality.
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