The quiet rise of agribusiness tech in Queensland (and what it means for jobs)

With nearly 90% of land use dedicated to agriculture, Queensland is not just a commodity-rich powerhouse but has also quickly established itself as an innovation hub for food production. Queensland’s primary industries hit a record $26.79 billion in production value in 2025, and the Queensland Government’s Primary Industries Prosper 2050 blueprint has set a bold target of $30 billion by 2030 to support emerging agtech, home-grown innovations, new growth markets and bioeconomy. To get there, the state is injecting millions into Smart Farms in locations such as Emerald and Gatton, while venture capital is pouring in at an unprecedented rate.

Whether it’s the $30 million Sowing the Seeds of Farming Innovation Fund or global giants such as the Gates Foundation backing sunshine state startups like Nbryo, Queensland is serious about investing in next-generation technologies that will power the future of agribusiness.

Spanning tropical, subtropical and arid zones, Queensland’s climate makes an ideal environment for trialling agricultural technology as it compresses an extraordinary range of agricultural conditions into one state – from heat and drought to flooding and humidity – allowing the stress-testing and scaling of new technologies in volatile climates to help ensure they are robust enough to work almost anywhere in the world.

The state also supports a broad mix of agricultural systems – from broadacre cropping (grains and cotton), horticulture, grazing, sugarcane, tree cops and high-value export supply chains. This diversity allows agtech developers to test interoperability across different production systems, rather than building solutions that are only suited to a single crop or region.

Queensland is firmly on track to deliver impactful agtech innovations that tackle the everyday challenges faced by farmers – challenges that can drain time, money and effort if left unresolved. By finding practical, scalable technologies shaped by real on-farm needs, the state is establishing its position as a credible player in the global agtech landscape.

Queensland has taken a very deliberate approach to investing in places that can turn agribusiness challenges into commercial-ready technology. Rather than concentrating innovation in capital cities alone, the state has focused on building hubs in regional and rural areas – close to farms, producers and supply chains. This approach ensures new technologies are developed alongside the people who will use them, in a deliberate effort to accelerate adoption and practical impact.

Central to the investment in supporting innovation across Queensland’s agricultural value chain is the AgTech and Logistics Hub in Toowoomba, which has rapidly become the "brain" of the regional ecosystem. Strategically positioned near key local government areas, major transport corridors and a fast-growing agricultural economy, the multimillion dollar hub brings entrepreneurs and startups together with the investors, researchers and technical talent needed to drive skilled job creation in the region.

The hub was established in 2020 as a Queensland Government initiative delivered through Advance Queensland with support from university and industry partnerships. It has since scaled significantly and now supports more than 6,500 connections and over 1,000 active SMEs across the agribusiness value chain.
 

Further north in Emerald is the Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre, which acts as a 1,270-hectare hothouse for broadacre robotics. With a $5.85 million state investment, this facility is a live testing ground for technologies like SwarmFarm’s autonomous robots.

Its effectiveness lies in researchers working directly with growers, agronomists and technology to trial precision agriculture, autonomation, soil management and climate-smart practices at scale – shortening the gap between innovation and adoption, and allowing solutions to be refined quickly to establish commercial viability prior to a wider rollout.
 

In Queensland’s southeast lies the Gatton Smart Farm, nestled within the Lockyer Valley vegetable industry. Operated by the University of Queensland, this $9 million facility supports advanced research across cropping, livestock and mixed farming systems, trialling technologies such as sensors, robotics, drones, AI-driven analytics, automation and digital decision-support tools.

The farm’s role as an innovation testbed was evident in a recent showcase which attracted over 1,000 producers who witnessed the southern hemisphere’s first automated, solar-powered seeder and weeder.

 

Located close to Brisbane, the Redlands Research Facility in Cleveland is a key agricultural research site supporting Queensland’s horticulture and agribusiness innovation. With close proximity to fresh-produce supply chains, the facility focuses on practical, grower-led research in areas such as protected cropping, soil and nutrient management, pest and disease control, water efficiency and climate resilience. Trials at this facility run under real production conditions (i.e. climate and pests), allowing new crop varieties, technologies and management practices to be tested, refined and proven before being released to industry.

The rapid adoption of agtech is driving strong demand for technical skills to design, build and maintain the platforms that underpin automation, robotics, AI and data-driven farming. With more than 40% of agricultural jobs expected to be transformed by emerging automations and digital tools, roles such as software developers, mechatronic and electrical engineers, data scientists and systems integrators are becoming critical within agribusiness operations. These professionals are central tobuilding the digital and mechanical infrastructure that will enable modern agricultural operations to operate efficiently, reliably and at scale.

To support this shift, government and industry are investing in programs to lift digital literacy and address existing skills gaps across the workforce. Education providers play a critical role in equipping future generations with both technical expertise and applied agricultural skills, while industry partnerships ensure learning remains aligned with real-world needs. Together, these efforts are building a resilient, highly skilled workforce capable of supporting Queensland’s agribusiness sector’s rapid technology-driven revolution.

In parallel with the integration of technology in farm settings, traditional agricultural roles are changing rather than disappearing. Farmers, agronomists, livestock managers and farm supervisors now require skills to manage autonomous systems, interpret complex datasets and translate digital insights into practical, on-farm decisions. This shift blends deep agricultural knowledge with digital literacy and analytical capability, improving job quality and productivity while reducing physical demands. As producers adopt automation and digital tools, farm-based roles are becoming more decision-focused and data-driven, helping agricultural businesses remain competitive amid climate and market pressures. At the same time, agtech is creating new, technology-adjacent career pathways on farms, extending the value and longevity of traditional roles while also welcoming a more resilient, future-ready agricultural workforce.