Portugal and Agricultural Robotics: Between Small Farms, Cooperatives, and Research Innovation

Small Farms: A Desire for Technology, but Barriers to Adoption

Nuno Ribeiro, who works with producers from the Bioeco association, describes a network of small farms ranging from 1,000 m² to 10 hectares. These farmers cultivate horticulture, fruits, olive groves, and vineyards for local and national markets.

For these farmers, monitoring tools and task-assistance robots—for weeding, pest, and disease control—could drastically improve efficiency.

“Producers would like to acquire this type of technology, but the price and lack of solutions in the local market prevent them from obtaining new technologies,” Ribeiro explains.

He sees knowledge sharing between associations, technicians, and universities as a key driver for making these solutions more affordable and better adapted to local realities.

Cooperatives as Key Players in Accessibility

Miguel Fiadeiro, representing the olive-growers’ cooperative in Fundão with 2,800 producers, points to the role of collective structures in technology adoption.

Their immediate priority is analytical systems for fruit sorting and weather stations to predict pest outbreaks and reduce chemical use.

“Autonomous machines could become a key element in making our small and medium-sized farms profitable and preventing them from being abandoned, if there is real support and investment,” Fiadeiro emphasizes.

Cooperatives could be crucial in enabling shared ownership or “robot-as-a-service” models, making robotics viable for smallholders.

Commercial Producers: Labor Shortages Driving Enthusiasm

Gonçalo Batista, managing 110 hectares of stone fruit and olives at Quinta da Fadagosa, is enthusiastic about automation:

“Farmers are fans of new technologies that reduce production costs, especially with the shortage of seasonal and specialized labor.”

However, he highlights a major issue: interoperability between precision farming systems and existing machinery. Batista has been in contact with the University of Beira Interior (UBI) for five years but still awaits practical solutions adapted to his sector.

He calls for stronger collaboration between universities, professional organizations, and farmers to address sector-specific needs.

Research Centers: Shaping the Future of Robotics in Portugal

Adapting Robotics to Portuguese Realities

Luís Alcino Conceição, from InovTechAgro, the National Competence Centre for Technological Innovation in the agroforestry sector, outlines the broader vision.

Portugal’s mixed agricultural landscape—small fragmented fields in the North and Centro, large intensive farms in the South—requires tailored robotic solutions.

“Portugal can leapfrog stages of mechanization by adopting lightweight, autonomous, and even electric machinery suited to smaller fields,” Alcino argues.

According to him, the first widespread applications will likely be in vineyards, olive groves, and horticulture—high-value crops with precise operations. However, challenges remain: cost vs. scale, digital infrastructure, and farmer training.

Evabot: A Portuguese Laser Weeder Taking Shape

The Evabot project, presented by Jorge Martins from the University of Lisbon, offers a glimpse into Portugal’s homegrown solutions. Designed for vineyards, olive groves, and almond orchards, this robot uses laser technology for chemical-free weeding.

“The Portuguese market is significant for grape, wine, olive, and almond production, and environmentally, avoiding chemicals makes complete sense,” Martins explains.

Evabot, based on a French pendular chassis, is now evolving into a straddle machine capable of weeding both sides of a crop row simultaneously.

Martins also highlights the importance of events like the Feira de Inovação Agrícola do Fundão:

“This is the first real initiative in Portugal to bring agricultural robotics closer to farmers, combining manufacturers, academia, and producers in one place.”

Conclusion: A Market on the Verge of Acceleration

The Portuguese agricultural robotics market is moving forward, albeit at different speeds:

• Small farms need affordable, shared solutions.
• Cooperatives can act as enablers of accessibility.
• Large commercial farms are ready but need practical, integrated systems.
• Research centers and innovation hubs are crucial to adapt international technologies to Portugal’s fragmented landscapes.

With initiatives like Evabot, knowledge-sharing platforms, and funding from EU and national recovery plans, Portugal may soon become a reference for affordable, sustainable, and precision-driven agriculture.