UK agriculture is changing faster than at any point in living memory. Precision farming, IoT sensor networks, autonomous machinery, drone monitoring and data-driven crop management are rapidly moving from innovation to standard practice — and the electronics at the heart of these technologies need to be built to perform in some of the most demanding environments imaginable: exposed to rain, dust, temperature extremes, vibration and chemical contamination, often far from any maintenance facility.
Arkle Electronic Systems has been manufacturing high-reliability electronics for demanding applications for over 50 years. Our experience in producing ruggedised, precision assemblies for sectors including defence, aerospace and industrial control gives us the technical foundation to meet the stringent requirements of modern agricultural and agritech electronics — and our high-mix, low-to-medium volume production model is a natural fit for the agritech OEM market, where product variants are common and build quantities range from early-stage prototypes through to growing production runs.
Based in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, we are an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified contract electronics manufacturer. Our environmental management certification is particularly relevant for agritech customers — sustainability is central to the sector's direction of travel, and working with a manufacturing partner who operates to the same environmental standards matters.
A Growing Sector with Government Backing
The UK agritech market is one of the country's most significant emerging technology sectors. The UK government formally included agritech and precision breeding as priority sectors within its ten-year Modern Industrial Strategy in 2025, with a commitment of at least £200 million to the Farming Innovation Programme through 2030 — funding targeted specifically at robotics, sensor systems and data-driven field technologies. The UK agritech market reached USD 635 million in 2024 and is forecast to grow at approximately 9.7% annually through to 2033.
For agritech OEMs and hardware developers, this combination of government support, investor interest and farmer adoption creates real commercial momentum. Finding a UK-based contract electronics manufacturer with the quality systems, technical capability and production flexibility to scale alongside that growth is a meaningful operational advantage.
Arkle manufactures high-reliability electronic assemblies for a broad range of agricultural technology applications, including:
-
Precision farming sensors and controllers — IoT sensor nodes, soil monitoring systems, microclimate stations and field data acquisition units requiring robust outdoor performance across wide temperature ranges
-
Irrigation and water management systems — control electronics for precision irrigation, moisture sensing and automated water management systems designed for field and glasshouse deployment
-
Livestock monitoring and management — electronics for animal health monitoring, tracking systems, automated feeding and ventilation control in livestock buildings
-
GPS guidance and auto-steer systems — control and interface electronics for tractor guidance systems, variable-rate application controllers and field mapping equipment
-
Drone and UAV electronics — lightweight, reliable PCB assemblies for agricultural drone platforms used in crop monitoring, spraying and yield assessment
-
Smart machinery and automation controls — electronics for harvesting machinery, planting equipment and autonomous farm vehicle platforms where reliability and environmental protection are critical
-
Glasshouse and vertical farming systems — control electronics for climate management, LED lighting control, nutrient dosing and environmental monitoring in controlled growing environments
-
Data gateways and connectivity equipment — ruggedised field gateways and communications units enabling IoT connectivity across farm networks in challenging RF environments
Our high-mix capability means we can work with agritech businesses at every stage — from a startup building its first production units to an established OEM scaling a proven product into higher volumes.
Applications We Support
Built for the Outdoors: Ruggedisation and Environmental Protection
Agricultural electronics face environmental stresses that most consumer or industrial electronics never encounter. Assemblies may be exposed to moisture, mud, agrochemical spray, UV radiation, wide temperature cycling and mechanical vibration from machinery — sometimes continuously, across a working season. Electronics that fail in the field are not just an inconvenience; they can directly affect crop yield, animal welfare or machinery operation at critical points in the farming calendar.
Arkle's manufacturing capabilities are well suited to producing electronics designed for these conditions:
Arkle's quality credentials include:
-
ISO 9001:2015 — Quality Management System
-
ISO 14001:2015 — Environmental Management System
-
Cyber Essentials Plus — Certified 2026
-
IPC-A-610 — Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies
-
IPC/WHMA-A-620 — Cable and Harness Assembly Standards
-
IPC-J-STD-001 — Requirements for Soldering
-
IPC-7711/7721 — Rework and Repair of Electronic Assemblies
-
RoHS and WEEE compliant
The ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management certification is a meaningful signal for agritech customers operating in a sector where sustainability credentials are increasingly scrutinised by end customers, retailers and investors. Arkle's environmental management system covers our full manufacturing operation, and our RoHS and WEEE compliance ensures our assemblies meet the substance restrictions expected across the European and UK supply chain.
Quality and Environmental Credentials
Why Agritech OEMs Choose Arkle
Technical depth from demanding sectors
Arkle's 50-year track record spans defence, aerospace, industrial control and scientific instrumentation — sectors that demand the same environmental robustness, traceability and quality consistency that agritech applications require. The manufacturing disciplines and process knowledge that serve those sectors directly translate to agricultural electronics built for long service life in harsh field conditions.
The right scale for
agritech OEMs
Many agritech businesses are growing companies bringing innovative products to market — they need a CEM who can support prototype builds and early production runs with the same quality and documentation as a larger programme, and who has the capacity to scale with them. Arkle's high-mix production environment is built for exactly this: flexible, quality-controlled manufacturing that works for low initial volumes and grows with your product.
ISO 14001 — a manufacturing partner who shares your values
Sustainability is not peripheral to agritech — it is the sector's reason for being. Working with a manufacturing partner certified to ISO 14001:2015 means your supply chain reflects the environmental commitments that define the products you make. Arkle's environmental management system is independently audited and covers our full manufacturing operation.
Proactive component and supply chain management
Agritech products often incorporate a mix of specialist sensors, wireless modules and standard electronic components — sourcing across these categories requires experience and active supplier relationship management. Arkle's procurement team provides full turnkey material sourcing, manages component availability across active BOMs, and works extensively with customers to monitor and manage obsolescence, end-of-life notifications and allocation issues before they disrupt production.
UK-based with responsive engineering support
Manufactured in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Short lead times, direct communication and the flexibility to respond quickly to design iterations — important for agritech businesses still refining their hardware in the field. No offshore risk, no extended logistics lead times, no language or time zone barriers when you need to discuss a design change or a production query quickly.
Working with Arkle on Your Agritech Programme
We welcome enquiries from agritech OEMs, precision farming technology developers, agricultural machinery electronics suppliers and their supply chain partners across the UK. Whether you are bringing a new product to market for the first time, scaling an existing product, or looking to transfer production to a more capable and quality-accredited UK manufacturer, we are happy to review your requirements in detail.
We offer a no-obligation review of your BOM, design documentation and production requirements, and can provide a full programme proposal including costing, lead times and the quality documentation package we will provide. NDA execution is available at the outset where IP sensitivity requires it.
Speak to our team about your agricultural electronics manufacturing requirements.
Contact us | +44 (0)1438 721710 | info@arkle-electronics.co.uk
Arkle Electronic Systems Limited | Unit 15, Wedgwood Gate, Wedgwood Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 4SU ISO 9001:2015 | ISO 14001:2015 | Cyber Essentials Plus | IPC-A-610 | IPC/WHMA-A-620 | RoHS Compliant
