The findings of the SmartCow consortium were presented at a SmartCow Project conference in Brussels this past week. It pooled together four years of data from the European infrastructure project, which integrates key European cattle research to assist the cattle sector to deal with the challenges of sustainable production.
Covering all relevant scientific fields, diversity of cattle types and production systems, SmartCow provided academic and private research communities with easy access to 11 major research infrastructures from seven countries. These were used to develop innovative solutions for efficient use of animal and feed resources that promote animal welfare and healthy livestock, as well as sustainable competitiveness.
SmartCow combined:
- Networking activities – creating an inventory of all animal research infrastructures (RIs) and capabilities in European countries, measurements methods, common standards, cattle phenotyping ontology, creating a cloud-based data platform to store and share data and disseminate project outcomes and involve stakeholders
- Transnational access – activities provided efficient and easy access to a wide range of cattle types, husbandry and feeding systems, and to the most advanced animal science technologies applied to cattle across the RIs
- Joint research activities – enhancing the quality of research services through advances in capabilities to investigate feed efficiency and emissions in cattle at a large scale and to validate data coming from sensors monitoring nutrition, health and behaviour
SmartCow this year assembled a further 14 partners from nine different countries. This was funded by the European Commission, through the European member states Horizon 2020 programme
While the main project concludes in late April 2022, the work will continue to promote joint research activities. Ireland’s Teagasc will continue to be involved in the programme.