Claas is joining the Innovation Park AI (IPAI) to enable technical advances in the development of ag machinery through the sustainable and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This technology offers substantial potential for increasing productivity, efficiency, work quality and work assistance in the complex processes of agriculture.
As the strongest driver of innovation, AI will also be part of everyday life in agriculture in just a few years. Highly complex processes with a large number of influencing factors, some of which interact with each other, make the industry a challenging field of application on the one hand – but this is precisely why it holds enormous potential for optimization.
The ag machinery industry has also recognized this, with manufacturers researching the possibilities of safe AI use individually or in joint projects and developing solutions for farmers, sales and service partners and internal company processes. “Claas is already one of the companies in the field of driver assistance and machine optimization systems and is already using the benefits of artificial intelligence within the company as well as in products,” explain Torben Töniges (Head of AI/Analytics Products within Claas Engineering) and Johannes Storck (Head of AI & Data at Claas Global IT), whose two AI teams are responsible for the development of artificial intelligence on the machine as well as within the company and in Claas digital products. “For example, the forage quality analysis for the Jaguar forage harvester in Claas connect works with AI, and in addition to quality control in our plants, we are also optimizing the analysis of customer feedback and the analysis of error clusters on machines with AI support.”
Cooperation in the sense of customer-oriented AI applications from development to use to service optimisation of agricultural technology (from left to right): Simon Witt (Data Scientist Claas Global IT), Johannes Storck (Head of AI & BI Claas Global IT), Tim Do Khac (Member & Community Manager IPAI), André Ferrari (Global Head of HR, FI & Data Solutions Claas Global IT); missing is Torben Toeniges (Head of AI / Analytics Products Claas SU Engineering).
Actively shaping technological development
By joining the Innovation Park AI (IPAI), Claas gains access to a valuable network from science and industry. By sharing experiences with a wide range of innovative partners, Claas can drive forward its own developments even faster and in a more targeted manner and evaluate new development approaches, while making its own experiences available to other companies and the scientific community. Moritz Burr, CEO of IPAI, emphasizes: “Claas joining is a strong signal for the importance of AI in agriculture. With Claas, we have an important agricultural technology company in our ecosystem that not only contributes technological expertise, but also the real-world application perspective of the industry. We are convinced that through the mutual exchange, we will create real added value for agriculture that is sustainable, responsible and in line with European values.”
Machine optimization
In the fast-moving AI environment, cross-industry and cross-manufacturer collaboration in networks and associations is essential. Agricultural technology can benefit enormously from the experience and technological development of other industrial and economic sectors. “Our focus is clearly on sustainable and responsible AI development and use in line with European values,” emphasizes Johannes Storck. “The benefit and added value for the farmer is the central motivator of all our developments, and this also applies to the field of artificial intelligence.” Torben Töniges reveals the specific direction that developments can take: “AI-based data processing will become increasingly important for our customers in the coming years, especially with a view to further machine optimization and driver assistance in the context of machine networks, high automation and autonomy. In just a few months, our customers and partners will be able to find out where we at Claas stand technologically in this area at the Agritechnica, international trade fair for agricultural technology, in Hanover, Germany.”
