For decades, CLAAS has been in the forefront of developing high-tech machines for the global ag machinery market. “The secret of this success, as Helmut Claas stated, lies in excellent people, great ideas and a marathon mindset. And were not finished yet”, says Chief Technology Officer Dr. Martin von Hoyningen-Huene in an exclusive interview with WORLD-AGRITECH.com, answering 10 questions.
By Ad Bal
1 Since early this year, CLAAS presented various new products and technologies and also unveils new products at Agritechnica. What’s the driving force behind that?
“2025 was truly a milestone year for Claas, and the most innovative in the history of our family-owned company” ,says Von Hoyningen-Huene. “Our efforts paid off. Over the past five years, we have invested more than 1.7 billion euros to develop new products, technologies, and solutions. By fostering stronger collaboration and exchange between our R&D departments in recent years, we have significantly accelerated engineering and testing processes, combining our strengths to achieve more, faster.
We also place great value on our experts, whose passion and dedication continue to position our products in the market. We are committed to growing our business in all product areas, but especially in the fields of tractors and balers. That’s why 2025 was such an important year, marked by major advancements throughout our product portfolio. Each introduction carried strategic significance: from the Axos 3 compact tractors, which carry the Claas DNA, to the CEREX 700 – a high-density, high-throughput variable round baler, and our flagship JAGUAR 1000 forage harvesters.
A major highlight is the launch of our all-new AXION 9 large tractors at Agritechnica, with numerous innovative features and solutions to boost productivity, efficiency, comfort, and operator assistance.
We have developed the new AXION 9 cab with direct customer input, conducting three rounds of customer clinics to ensure it meets their needs and expectations.”
2 Which role do CVT transmissions play for your growth strategy in the product area of tractors?
“We just started renewing and expanding our tractor portfolio and we have the full ambition to keep high speed and output. Our target is to achieve a top 3 position in tractor sales all important tractor markets. We already have strong market positions in some countries and areas, including market leadership in some of them. Nevertheless, we continue to see growth potential in this segment globally. A key enabler for our growth ambitions is the CVT transmission, known as CMATIC. First, because customers demand it. CMATIC is easy to operate even without comprehensive experience, as nearly everything runs automated and there is nearly no risk of incorrect operation causing damages. Second, CMATIC is a foundational technology for autonomous tractors.
Over the last years, we have built significant expertise in this area, especially at CLAAS Industrietechnik, where we mainly engineer our own CMATIC transmissions and the majority of our vehicle drive controllers.
Our CEMOS platform, combined with the new Auto Load Anticipation feature in the AXION 9, puts us at the forefront of drivetrain technology.
Our CEMOS platform, combined with the new Auto Load Anticipation feature in the AXION 9, puts us at the forefront of drivetrain technology.
In addition to the AXION 9, we introduce the new ARION 6.190 CMATIC, featuring enhanced comfort, automation, a fresh look, and an industry-unique CMATIC wheel loader mode. The ARION 660 CMATIC is currently the most successful tractor from our factory in Le Mans (France), making it a great basis for the new ARION 6.190 CMATIC. One unique feature is its CMATIC wheel loader mode, offering a driving behavior comparable to a wheel loader when entering a sand pile, thereby minimizing wheel slippage. Another very important product is the NEXOS 2 CMATIC, our first specialized tractor with CMATIC transmission, with integrated control armrest with CMOTION lever.”
3 Will CLAAS develop autonomous vehicles? If so, which kind of? Tractors or self-propelled (robot) vehicles?
“Autonomy is one of the major trends shaping the farm machinery industry. Thanks to CEMOS, we have been a major supplier of highly automated combine harvesters, forage harvesters and tractors and we are continually evolving and expanding automation on our machines. This, together with our open approach “collaboration is key” demonstrated through our engagements, such as the 3A Group and our commitment to the AgIn working group in the AEF, is essential for reaching the next level of autonomy. Since 2022, we are investing in AgXeed from the Netherlands, designing and marketing autonomous AgBots. Working together with AgXeed and our in-house engineers we develop autonomy solutions for CLAAS tractors. The first Level 2 solution for high automation will become available for the new AXION 9 and our XERION 12 in 2026.
Level 2 enables fully automated fieldwork based on prepared tasks in CLAAS connect, a logical step from current farming processes toward future full autonomy. The area of material handling, especially on biogas farms, is another promising case for autonomy.
When it comes to harvesters, however, we do not share the vision of driverless machines in the next years – even with nearly completely automated harvesters in our portfolio. Here we continue to improve our CEMOS assistance for process automation.”
4 CLAAS receives one gold and four silver medals at Agritechnica. Well done! In which direction in general, do you expect ag machinery technology to further develop?
“For many years, we have witnessed a steady transformation towards more automation up to full autonomy. With advanced assistance systems such as CEMOS, we see ourselves in a leading position. The base for this transformation is, beside seamless connectivity, collecting data and even more intelligent, smart machines to transform data onboard to information and instructions. Fast decisions require powerful processors and the use of self-learning algorithms as well as AI, which we already made available to customers in solutions such as our Chop Quality App. Furthermore, three of our innovations that will receive gold and silver at Agritechnica use AI to further improve processes, delivering greater performance, efficiency, and operator assistance.
As a mechanical engineer, I am also proud that also today, innovation is not limited to electronics and software. However these are crucial to our industry’s future. CLAAS has been awarded by DLG with two awards for new machine concepts: one for the JAGUAR 1000 forage harvester series, and another for the CUBIX square baler concept. These achievements underscore that a great concept combines outstanding mechanical and crop flow design with state-of-the-art automation.”
5 Claas entered into partnership with IPAI. Which will be the major benefits for using Artificial Intelligence in ag machinery?
“AI plays a crucial role in enhancing machine performance, as well as process productivity and efficiency, evident in the two award-winning machine concepts mentioned. Its applications range widely, from image recognition that enhances work quality to facilitating full autonomy in large-scale farm machines. We carefully select the areas in which AI can provide significant benefits to our customers.
Take, for instance, the award-winning next-generation large baler, the CUBIX. This baler achieves a new level of precision in bale density and weight, enabling customers to maximize the legal payload of their straw transports.
Another notable AI solution is the mentioned CEMOS Auto Chopping which brings the Chop Quality App into an in-line process on the JAGUAR.
It enables forage harvester customers to determine the CSPS score in the maize silage harvest now on the go, directly in the field, ensuring that CEMOS can always ensure the optimum setting of the kernel processor and the chopping drum.”
6 Chinese ag machinery companies presented more powerful machines that seem to be more suitable for European conditions. How does CLAAS assess the potential for Chinese Farm Machinery in Europe?
“I am certain that the European farm machinery industry is closely following the activities of Chinese manufacturers driven by the current 5-year plan, the Chinese government strongly encourages even non-agricultural giants, such as those from the construction machinery sector to enter the farm machinery market. Some of these companies are true giants compared to even the “big 5” of the farm machinery industry world, and we respect the strength and innovative drive.
At CLAAS, we are proud of our own innovative spirit, proven by numerous new product introductions. But lasting success is built on much more than the latest, fancy technology. It requires decades of hard work deep trust, and close, long-term relationships with customers. It’s about having a professional network for sales and service, and a fast, reliable spare parts business.
As the largest family-owned business in the farm machinery industry, we have the experience to successfully compete in a David-versus-Goliath manner against larger competitors. We have demonstrated this success through, as Helmut Claas stated, our excellent people and great ideas and I would add, a marathon mindset. Without these qualities, unique products would never have come to life.”
7 How does Claas meet with the various levels of technology around the world? Local production? Different specs?
“Our business focus is clearly on professional farmers and customers, independent of the size of their farm or business. Farmers and contractors of any size can be professional, whether they are in arable farming, livestock or mixed farming, or vineyard and orchard farming. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive portfolio of products and solutions that ranges from small tractors to large harvesters, with digital solutions suitable for all customers and available for all machines.
With our modern and highly flexible production sites, we can cover a broad range of different products for different customer demands in different regions mostly independent of the factory location. For example, at our tractor plant in Le Mans, we build everything from the lightweight and simple ARION 600 C for African or Australian markets, to the purpose-built ARION 400 front loader tractor with semi-powershift, all the way up to the 460 hp AXION 960 TERRA TRAC, all on the same assembly line.
However, we see an increasing demand for tractors with CMATIC transmissions, an area where CLAAS was pioneer with the XERION decades ago. For models above 300 hp, we successfully offered nothing but CMATIC transmissions for years, and we are now introducing our NEXOS series with CMATIC, demonstrating our commitment to this direction.
We are well prepared with our CMATIC competence at CLAAS Industrietechnik in Paderborn, where we develop not only our own CMATIC transmissions of the EQ range, but also our vehicle drive controller and CEMOS operator assistance for tractors, as well in the intimate collaboration with ZF on larger CMATIC transmissions.
What brings me the greatest pride – and is our largest growth lever -is seeing loyal CLAAS LEXION, TRION, or JAGUAR customers expand their tractor fleets with CLAAS machines. Meanwhile, we observe that agriculture in many emerging markets agriculture is showing a fast transformation towards more professional, productive and efficient farming for high quality products and increasing work quality. Some markets making exceptional progress. In Central Asia, for instance, where we successfully introduced our XERION 12 in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. We are also very successful with this tractor on professional family farms in South Africa. We introduced XERION 4500 and 5000 in China and we are market leader in the self-propelled forage harvester business in China. And last, but not least, we sold the first JAGUAR on the Philippines just a few weeks ago. In the combine business, our entry level is the DOMINATOR for LRC markets and the EVION for the European key market, both are produced in Gaomi, China, but engineered in Harsewinkel in Germany based on a modular system using many proven components and technologies of LEXION and TRION series.”
8 Will Claas develop machinery, powered by “green” energy?
“Two years ago, we started with the approval of HVO fuels for our tractors and harvesters, incorporating it as a factory first-fill. At Agritechnica, we will showcase our first machine with battery electric drive: the TORION 537e SINUS, which was developed together with our OEM partner Liebherr.
Additionally, we are also working on a project with the TFZ Straubing to better nderstand the possibilities to use B100, which looks very promising.
While we do not plan to invest in every niche at this time, particularly in hydrogen or gas tractors, , we want to allow our customers to use all possible sources of liquid fuels for large machines. Concurrently, we are starting to develop E-solutions for farm-yard applications step by step.”
9 Two years ago CLAAS presented the new CLAAS connect cloud-based platform. Did you succeed with the new digital strategy, and which targets or ambitions do you have when it comes to market position in digital solutions?
“In the past 12 months, we successfully rolled out the new CLAAS connect in over 50 countries, receiving a wealth of positive feedback and confirmation from our users. CLAAS connect allows us to seamlessly integrate digital onboard and offboard technologies, enabling us to utilize data faster than ever, leveraging increasing AI support where it benefits our customers. The introduction of a new generation of CEBIS terminals provides even deeper integration of CLAAS connect within our machines, offering new opportunities to enhance operator assistance and optimize processes. With this approach, we strive for a Top3 position in the field of digital farming. Sometimes starting a little later has its advantages; our legacy with 365 FarmNet has equipped us with a comprehensive and modular software concept that positions us well for future growth.”
10 Which will be the CLAAS innovations at Agritechnica?
“Our all-new AXION 9 high HP tractor series will undoubtedly be one of the show’s highlights, alongside our next-generation large baler, which will receive a Gold Agritechnica Innovation Award. Of course, the new ARION 6.190 CMATIC and the NEXOS 2 CMATIC will also be in the spotlight.
When it comes to the JAGUAR 1000 series, we will show the ORBIS 12000 16-row-header and the new DIRECT DISC 8400. That’s not all: the DISCO mower range will be expanded with the new DISCO 1100 DIRECT SWATHER with 10.70 m working widths and flexible tray by swath augers.
Our InnoLab will provide a window into the future of farming. Altogether, our CLAAS booth is definitely worth a visit”, Martin von Hoyningen-Huene concludes.
