Innovatie
Innovation is the backbone of our business. From a very young age, founders Cornelis and Arij van der Lely started to develop concepts to reduce the workload of dairy farmers. Ever since our foundation in 1948, we have introduced a range of ground-breaking products to the market. These have changed the face of the agricultural sector.
Yellow Revolutions
Our efforts to help farmers have led to a number of innovative products. Right at the start, in 1948, Lely brought out the finger-wheel hay rake. This was followed ten years later by the fertiliser spreader. Our tedders with a patented hook tine are still used and produced worldwide. The great breakthrough came in 1992 with the introduction of our automatic milking system, the Lely Astronaut. This not only meant a new way of milking: it meant a new way of working. A revolution for dairy farming.
We help our customers excel in sustainable milk and meat production with innovative concepts for use in the barn.
When we introduce a product to the market that represents a breakthrough for farming, we call this a ‘Yellow Revolution’.
The Yellow Revolution concept started in 2005. Since then we have launched 9 Yellow Revolutions.
Our own patent office
The protection of intellectual property is inextricably linked to creativity and the development of new ideas. In 2022, we report 1,500 'living' patents to our name and we are one of the top ten companies in the Netherlands when it comes to patent applications. In this area, Lely is one of the front-runners among large international companies and research institutes with a considerable number of patents.