Animal Welfare Award Takes Centre Stage at EuroTier 2026 as Technology Shifts from Animal Monitoring to Automated Farm Management

The EuroTier Innovation Awards 2026 received 217 submissions, of which 176 met the qualifying requirements. The expert commission awarded four Gold Medals and 27 Silver Medals. The winners include exhibitors representing ten markets across Europe, Asia, and North America.

The jury assessed the practical applicability of the innovations, their impact on animal welfare, their ability to reduce labour requirements, and their environmental and energy efficiency. Professor Heinz Bernhardt, Chairman of the EuroTier Innovation Commission, noted that the award-winning solutions demonstrate broader developments in livestock technology rather than isolated product trends.

The innovations cover resource-efficient feeding, monitoring of animal behaviour and health, automated climate control, adaptation of farms to heat and extreme weather conditions, and the integration of sensors, equipment, and production processes into unified management systems.

Sensors Are Becoming Part of Automated Farm Management

Monitoring technologies are gradually moving beyond data collection towards direct management of production processes. Data on animal behaviour, health, and performance can be used to automatically adjust ventilation, temperature, and other climate parameters.

This approach enables farms to respond to changes in animal health before clear signs of disease or reduced productivity appear. Cameras and sensors collect information on movement, feeding behaviour, water consumption, health status, and other indicators.

Artificial intelligence helps analyse images and large volumes of data in real time. Based on this analysis, systems can identify abnormalities and generate recommendations for farm personnel.

DLG notes that digital solutions must evolve from separate applications into integrated systems. Farms use equipment from different manufacturers, making interoperability between sensors, ventilation systems, actuators, and management software increasingly important.

Protecting Cows from Heat Stress Is Becoming a Priority

The increasing frequency of hot periods and extreme weather events is making climate adaptation an essential part of dairy farm management. New solutions must not only identify heat stress at an early stage but also automatically take action to reduce it.

The main tools include improved natural ventilation, fans, shading, and targeted cooling of animals. These measures help maintain feed intake, cow health, and milk production.

When selecting climate-control solutions, farms must consider energy consumption, labour requirements, and economic efficiency. The industry is therefore moving towards systems that regulate equipment according to the animals’ actual condition and environmental conditions inside the barn.

Dairy Farms Are Moving Towards Integrated Barn Design

Technological development in dairy farming is focused on resource-efficient, automated production that provides greater comfort for animals. Particular attention is being paid to modern cubicle housing systems, the design of lying, feeding, and drinking areas, and elastic, easy-to-clean flooring.

Manure management is becoming part of the broader animal-welfare and environmental-efficiency system. DLG identifies the separate collection of faeces and urine, automated cleaning, and technologies for more efficient use of nutrients contained in manure as promising areas.

Separating manure components can reduce emissions and simplify the subsequent processing of organic fertilisers. Automated cleaning also reduces the physical workload on employees and helps maintain sanitary conditions in livestock buildings.

Dairy farms are expanding the use of automated milking, feeding, feed-pushing, and passage-cleaning systems. These technologies not only reduce manual labour but also generate data on animal behaviour, health, and performance.

DLG emphasises that automation does not eliminate the need for professional supervision by the farmer. Technical solutions must be assessed according to the conditions of each farm, its type of housing, herd size, and production processes.

Feeding Is Becoming a Tool for Resource Efficiency

Feeding innovations are aimed at increasing nutrient availability and improving nutrient utilisation. The objective is to reduce the consumption of feed and other resources without lowering the level of nutrient supply to animals.

In pig and poultry farming, interest is growing in supporting intestinal health as a way to improve feed conversion and reduce antibiotic use. Feeding programmes are increasingly incorporating phytogenic substances and phytobiotics intended to stabilise intestinal flora.

Another development involves the use of by-products from the food and bioenergy industries. Incorporating them into feed chains enables more efficient use of available raw materials and supports the circular economy.

As climate fluctuations increase and crop yields become less predictable, technologies that reduce feed losses are becoming more important. Producers need to assess nutrient content more accurately and ensure the homogeneity of feed mixtures.

AI Helps Detect Disease and Injuries in Pig Farming

Technological trends in pig farming are being shaped by high production costs, difficult market conditions, and the need to improve animal housing. Farms are integrating the management of climate, feeding, water consumption, and animal behaviour.

In farrowing units, automated monitoring systems for sows and piglets are being developed alongside solutions that improve lying and heating areas. In the production of pigs with undocked tails, early detection of injuries and behavioural abnormalities is becoming particularly important.

Automated bedding and manure-removal systems can reduce working time, the physical workload on employees, and exposure to dust. Automated washing and disinfection technologies designed to break chains of infection are also being developed.

The Poultry Industry Is Strengthening Biosecurity

Poultry technologies are focused on strengthening biosecurity and improving flock health while using resources more efficiently. As in pig farming, intestinal health and reduced antibiotic use remain priorities.

Mobile and automated poultry housing systems are becoming more widespread. They allow flexible use of land and help control the amount of nutrients entering the soil.

In the laying-hen sector, sensors are being used to monitor egg transportation. These systems can detect impact forces on production lines and help reduce the number of cracked eggs.

The Animal Welfare Award Reflects a New Approach to Automation

The decision to recognise two innovations with the special Animal Welfare Award shows that livestock automation is assessed not only by its ability to save labour and resources. Its effect on animal health and housing quality is also becoming an important criterion.

The main technological shift involves moving from isolated devices to connected systems. Sensors record the animal’s condition, software analyses the information, and equipment adjusts climate, feeding, or housing parameters.

This approach can help farms identify problems more quickly, reduce productivity losses, and use feed, water, and energy more precisely. However, DLG notes that technologies must be evaluated in the context of each individual farm. Their effectiveness depends on equipment compatibility, data quality, system configuration, and professional supervision.

The winning innovations will be presented at EuroTier 2026, which will take place in Hanover, Germany, from November 10 to 13.