M&A WORLDWIDE Industry Report: Automation & Technology in the Food Sector

We are proud to share the M&A WORLDWIDE Industry Report: Automation & Technology in the Food Sector.

With labour shortages and food safety regulations tightening globally, automation has shifted from optional to essential. This report dives into these trends across Europe and Asia-Pacific, with a dedicated spotlight on the New Zealand market (Section 7.3).

Key insight includes mid-cap companies being uniquely positioned to lead this change, using their agility to integrate new tech faster than large companies, a sweet spot for many Kiwi businesses.

The report shows automation is no longer being adopted to cut costs alone. Labour shortages are structural, not temporary, and many food businesses are investing simply to keep plants running and meet compliance requirements.

There is also a clear shift away from one-off machines toward integrated systems that link production, quality control and traceability. Food safety and export standards are now major drivers of investment, especially for companies supplying multiple international markets.

Armillary contributed to the report, with Executive Director Peter Bosworth participating on the expert panel and Lucy Hayes contributing to the report content.

Read the full report here.