Simon Pearson is a Professor at Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), University of Lincoln. He received his Ph.D. degree at the School of Plant Sciences and Engineering, University of Reading in 1992. He was the CEO of a large UK farming company, worked for Marks and Spencer plc in a technical role, and was a scientist at the University of Reading. His research interests include A diverse range of agri-technology applications including robotic systems, automation, energy control and management, food safety systems, and novel crop development.