Society increasingly expects academic institutions to act as honest brokers. We argue that this role may be challenged by today's funding paradigms. Based on a case study we introduce funding strategies for honest brokers. Funding strategies include the funding of professorships and technology platforms.

Robotic introduction was viewed positively by respondents. Respondents thought robots would reduce harvesting safety risks and complement the existing skill set. Impacts on small rural towns and coping with forest terrain were robot uptake concerns. Addressing these social and market risks early in development will smooth introduction.