– by F. Martini (Abinsula) and C. Morgan-Davies (SRUC)
On February 5, 2025, at the Hotel Catalunya in Alghero, a meeting between the TechCare and E.INS-APPàre projects took place during the TechCare Annual Meeting. This workshop was a valuable opportunity to explore synergies and potential collaborations between the two initiatives, both focused on improving the management and welfare of small ruminants through technological innovation. The meeting highlighted opportunities for knowledge transfer and the joint development of advanced tools for decision support and animal health monitoring.
Complementary Projects for a Common Goal
TechCare and E.INS-APPàre share fundamental objectives that make collaboration between the two initiatives a natural fit. Both projects focus on the management and welfare of sheep through a multi-actor approach including farmers, veterinarians, researchers, policymakers, and business. Additionally, the use of advanced digital technologies, including integrated databases, IoT tools, and Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies, enables accurate animal monitoring and the implementation of Early Warning Systems (EWS) for timely anomaly detection. After a brief overview of TechCare’s activities and main achievements, the E.INS-APPàre team presented the scientific methodologies adopted and the technological innovations implemented for data collection and analysis in sheep farming.
Demonstration of the APPàre Platform and Project Comparison
One of the key moments of the meeting was the live demonstration of the APPàre platform, an digital system for data collection and analysis in small ruminant farming, currently in the development phase. The platform offers innovative features for monitoring, alert management, and decision support. Following this, a comparison between TechCare and APPàre was conducted, facilitated by interactive tools that gathered real-time feedback from participants. The main discussion topics included:
– Potential adaptations of TechCare’s methodologies for APPàre: Opportunities emerged for transferring analytical tools developed by TechCare into the APPàre context to enhance the effectiveness of adopted solutions.
– How APPàre can contribute to TechCare’s current challenges: Particularly in the Sardinian context, APPàre’s applications and their potential impact were discussed.
Future Prospects for Synergistic Collaboration
The meeting concluded with a summary of the key takeaways and the definition of possible next steps to strengthen cooperation between the two projects. The complementarity between TechCare and E.INS-APPàre represents a concrete opportunity to develop innovative, scalable, and adaptable solutions for different territorial contexts, maximizing the impact of digital technologies in the sheep farming sector. The identified collaboration opportunities during the workshop demonstrate how knowledge transfer and the integration of advanced technological solutions can significantly improve livestock management and animal welfare. The hope is that this synergy will lead to joint projects, new analytical tools, and effective data and methodology sharing for the benefit of farmers and industry stakeholders.
