The Industry 4.0 or the fourth industrial revolution is underway and no company wants to be left behind. In this new entry we are going to expose the buying a company The most relevant developments in the sector this year and their strategic rationale.

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Buying companies in Industry 4.0

AgEagle acquires Agribotix to create sustainable agriculture

AgEagle Aerial Systems announced mid-year the acquisition of AgribotixUS-based drone-enabled software company that provides advanced image and data analytics for sustainable and precision agriculture. In doing so, AgEagle plans to integrate Agribotix's FarmLens data analytics platform into its service offerings.

Barrett Mooney, CEO of AgEagle, commented: "The agreement to acquire Agribotix is an important milestone for AgEagle as we look to expand our imagery and data analytics offerings. As we focus on our sustainability initiatives, we believe the FarmLens platform will provide our customers with the information needed to manage and support the sustainability goals of leading food manufacturers and their contracted farms before, during and after the cyclical growing season.

"In addition, with the use of customised aerial analytical solutions, along with direct integration of leading farm management systems, we expect this platform to deliver substantial value to our customers and significantly improve crop yields," he added.

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John Deere makes two simultaneous purchases

Deere & Companybetter known by its brand name John Deere, is a manufacturer of agricultural machinery based in Illinois, USA. At the end of July, it signed two agreements, the first one to acquire PLA, Argentinean manufacturer of sprayers, seeders and specialised products for agriculture, and the second to buy the Valencian company King Agro, manufacturer of carbon fibre wings for tractors from Picassent, Spain.

Founded in 1975, PLA was the first company to manufacture self-propelled sprayers in Latin America and has been providing innovative solutions to its customers ever since. The company has approximately 450 employees and currently markets products on four continents.

"The acquisition of PLA enhances John Deere's commitment to customers as we continue to provide innovative and cost-effective equipment, technology and services to improve their productivity," said John May, Deere president.

King Agro is a spin off of King Marine, a manufacturer of carbon fibre parts for boats that set up in Alginet (Valencia) in 2005 to collaborate in the construction of hulls and masts for the boats participating in the America's Cup editions. After the departure of the sailing competition from the city, it redirected its knowledge of manufacturing with this resistant and lightweight material towards the agricultural sector, with an innovative solution in wings or booms that are much lighter than the traditional metal ones, which makes it possible to build longer pieces that cover a greater area. These are the wings used by tractors to spray pesticides and other liquid products on crops.

Humatics Corp acquires 5D Robotics and its subsidiary Time Domain

Humatics Corporation, the company that develops innovative micro-location products, announced earlier this year the acquisition of 5D Robotics and its subsidiary, Time Domain. Humatics is developing radio frequency sensors that measure the positions of objects in three-dimensional space with unprecedented millimetre accuracy at ranges of up to 30 metres.

5D Robotics and Time Domain enable radio frequency systems to locate objects with centimetre-scale accuracy at ranges of up to 500 metres. Together they will be able to deliver products that measure position with accuracies that will transform industrial automation, next-generation construction, autonomous vehicles and smart cities.

David Mindell, co-founder and CEO of Humatics, said: "With the acquisition, we are now positioned as a key enabler for next-generation construction". "Time Domain has been the leader in precision positioning for many years, bringing technology to chip-scale solutions deployed at scale in critical and challenging environments," said Ray Stata, board member of Humatics. "I am delighted to see 5D Robotics and Time Domain products join the Humatics technology portfolio," he commented.