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aWISH | 8th Newsletter

The aWISH project is happy to announce the launch of its e‑course "Automatic Assessment of Animal Welfare Indicators in Pigs and Poultry"

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Welcome to the 8th aWISH Newsletter

A selection of aWISH activities, updates, as well as future events, that we hope you’ll find interesting!

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ANNOUNCEMENTS
The aWISH project is happy to announce the launch of its e‑course “Automatic Assessment of Animal Welfare Indicators in Pigs and Poultry”. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the automatic assessment of animal welfare indicators in pigs and poultry, supporting the understanding and application of data‑driven approaches in livestock systems.

The course is structured into 12 modules, combining short lectures and practical insights on key topics such as animal welfare, welfare assessment, precision livestock farming and sensor technologies. Its main objective is to offer EU‑wide tutorials focused on the automatic detection of welfare indicators at the slaughterhouse, bridging scientific knowledge and real‑world applications.

Designed for a broad audience, the course is suitable for students in animal sciences, as well as professionals working in the meat and veterinary sectors, advisors, policymakers, researchers and education specialists interested in advancing animal welfare practices.

To ensure wide accessibility, the course will be available in English, with planned translations into Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, French, Danish, Polish, Greek and Serbian.

The aWISH e‑course will be made available soon on the aWISH website, so we invite you to stay tuned to our communication channels for updates and access details:

🔗 Website | LinkedIn | X (Twitter)
 
The aWISH Final Event will take place on 10 September 2026, as part of the EAAP Annual Meeting in Hamburg, Germany, marking the culmination of the project’s work on data‑driven animal welfare assessment.

The event will be embedded within the EAAP scientific programme through two dedicated sessions:
  • Session 79 – Advancing Animal Welfare Assessment with PLF Technologies (Part 1) | 08:30 CEST
  • Session 94 – Advancing Animal Welfare Assessment with PLF Technologies (Part 2) | 14:15 CEST
These sessions will present key results from the aWISH project alongside related research, highlighting how digital tools, sensors and data‑driven approaches can improve animal welfare monitoring across the livestock value chain. Participants will gain insights into the latest developments in precision livestock farming (PLF) and explore how research outcomes can support practical and scalable solutions for animal welfare.

The aWISH Final Event offers a unique opportunity to engage with researchers, stakeholders and policymakers, reflect on project achievements, and discuss future directions for animal welfare innovation.

Participants are invited to attend in person in Hamburg or online via live streaming. Stay tuned to our channels for registration information.
NEWS
aWISH Second Review Meeting | Month 36
aWISH Featured in
ILVO-VILT Podcast

On 29 January 2026, the aWISH project held its Second Review Meeting, where partners presented updates across all work packages and pilot activities. The meeting highlighted project progress, ongoing results and the strong collaboration within the consortium as it moves towards the next phase.

Discover more about it here!
aWISH was featured in the ILVO–VILT podcast, released in February 2026, highlighting precision livestock farming and data‑driven approaches. The episode showcased how aWISH technologies support animal welfare and sustainable livestock systems, reinforcing the role of data and innovation in modern farming.

Learn more about it here!
TALLHEDA Project Researchers Visit ILVO
aWISH at
Agridagen 2026

Researchers from the TALLHEDA project visited ILVO on 24 February 2026, focusing on precision livestock farming and data‑driven innovation. The visit showcased digital tools, AI and data sharing approaches, highlighting connections with aWISH and supporting knowledge exchange and collaboration in sustainable livestock systems.

Discover more about it here!
ILVO participated in Agridagen 2026, held on 20–22 February 2026 in Ravels, showcasing AI and Precision Livestock Farming innovations. The event highlighted aWISH approaches, using data, sensors and digital tools to support animal welfare, early detection of risks and more sustainable livestock management.

Learn more about it here!
aWISH at 31st International Animal Welfare Conference
aWISH Featured in “Bauer to the People” Podcast

aWISH was presented at the 31st International Animal Welfare Conference, held on 19–21 March 2026 in Munich. The project highlighted research comparing experts’ and farmers’ views on Best Practices, showing the importance of aligning science and practical constraints to improve animal welfare in poultry production.

Discover more about it here!
aWISH was featured in the “Bauer to the People” podcast, released in February 2026, exploring digital tools for animal welfare monitoring. The episode highlighted AI‑based approaches, including camera systems and animal‑based indicators, supporting objective, data‑driven welfare assessment in livestock systems.

Learn more about it here!
aWISH at VarkensInZicht Symposium
Press Interest in aWISH Research on Tear Staining Pigs

aWISH was presented at the VarkensInZicht (PigsInSight) symposium, held on 2 April 2026 in Belgium. The project showcased early research insights and digital tools, highlighting how data‑driven monitoring supports practical improvements in pig welfare across the production chain.

Discover more about it here!
aWISH gained media attention in May 2026 following an award‑winning master’s thesis on tear staining in pigs. Research highlighted a practical animal‑based indicator of chronic stress, demonstrating how aWISH supports data‑driven, real‑world animal welfare improvements across the livestock production chain.

Learn more about it here!
RECENT WORKSHOPS & WEBINARS
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.
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1. aWISH Introduction

We would like to invite you to participate in the aWISH Expert Panel, as we believe that your experience and knowledge will contribute greatly to a key consultation body of the project. aWISH is a 4-year project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme. Before you decide to participate in the aWISH Expert Panel, please take the time to read this document carefully to understand what your involvement will be in our project’s activity. If there is anything you do not understand, please feel free to ask questions.

1.1 What is the aWISH project about?

In the EU, a challenge that still remains is to reconcile the social and moral demand for a high level of animal welfare with other pillars of sustainable livestock production. Indeed, 82% of Europeans believe that farm animals should be better protected than they currently are. A broad definition of animal welfare refers to the feelings and physical well-being of an individual animal. Broilers and pigs are the farm animals EU citizens care most about, and they are also the most important meat-producing animals in the EU and worldwide. Both pigs and broilers have significant welfare problems at all stages of production (on-farm, loading and transport, unloading and slaughter), leading a growing number of citizens to question the social license to produce. Ambitious and effective, but also practical and efficient solutions are needed. This is where the aWISH project comes in to fill this gap! The aim of aWISH is to develop and provide a cost-effective solution for assessing and improving the welfare of meat-producing livestock in Europe. The aWISH solution is based on the automatic monitoring of animal-related indicators at slaughter. The necessary technologies will also be developed to collect complementary data on farm or during transport. Pilot and development activities will be carried out in 6 broiler and fattening pig production chains across Europe using a lean multi-actor approach to test and validate the project results. A catalogue of animal welfare indicators will disseminate all validated indicators and standardised data collection methods. Best practice guides will be developed to improve key aspects of animal welfare in pigs and broilers and to help external stakeholders use aWISH technologies and tools. In this context, the aWISH project will set up expert panels that will be composed of representatives of actors from the entire farm to fork value chain across the EU. The expert panels will have the function to retrieve and share feedback on technology, processes, farming practices, industry, sector regulation and markets, as well as society and perceptions. In this way, stakeholder participation in expert panels could help initiate interdisciplinary dialogue, promote interaction with target groups and associations, and strengthen trust between different actors.

2. Useful Information

2.1 Is my participation voluntary and what does it involve?

Your participation in the aWISH project is entirely voluntary. If you decide to participate in an aWISH activity, we will ask you to sign an Informed Consent Form to collect and process your data. The project will last 48 months, but you will only participate for as long as you wish.

2.2 Purpose of personal data collection

As mentioned above, the expert panel will have the function to retrieve and share feedback on technology, processes, farming practices, industry, sector regulation and markets, as well as society and perceptions. In order to do this effectively, we need to process some of your personal data:
  • Your contact information
  • Demographic information (age, gender, country of origin)
  • Professional information (where do you work, what position do you hold, what is your area of expertise)
  • Personal opinions on the subject

2.3 What we will do with your data

The information you provide is confidential. Your consent form will be kept separate from the observations collected during the course of the project activity. We will share your data with other aWISH project partners involved in the data analysis and reporting process. Once the data is analysed, a report of the findings may be submitted for publication. The project's deliverables that will be derived by this activity will not include your personal data or any other information that could identify you. The results of this project activity may also be shared with representatives of the European Union (e.g. the Project Officer evaluating the project's or the reviewing EU agencies). Only broad trends will be reported and it will not be possible to identify any individuals.

3. Access, deletion of information or withdrawal of consent

Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to request to: (i) provide you with a copy of your data; (ii) correct your data if you believe they are inaccurate; (iii) erase your data; (iv) restrict or stop processing your data; or (v) provide your data in an appropriate format and transfer them to another organisation. In addition, you may withdraw your consent and therefore your participation at any time without consequence. Anonymous data already collected will be used as we cannot trace the information back to you. No further data will be collected or other procedures carried out in relation to your information. If you wish to have the personal data we hold checked, amended, corrected or deleted, or if you wish to withdraw your consent, you can contact the responsible partner listed below.

4. Contact Information

Partner name: WHITE RESEARCH SRL
e-mail: akyriakidis@white-research.eu

5. Informed Consent Form

I confirm that I understand that by ticking each box below I am consenting to this element of the study. I understand that it will be assumed that unticked boxes mean that I DO NOT consent to that part of the study. I also understand that by not giving consent for any of the elements, I may be deemed ineligible for participating in this project’s activity.
 

6. Declaration of Acceptance

I, the undersigned
acknowledge that I have read and agree to be bound by the aWISH Expert Panel Terms of Reference. I agree to participate in the aWISH Expert Panel in my individual capacity and, as such, may not assign or be substituted for any other person to perform the work without prior written agreement with the aWISH Expert Panel Consortium. I agree not to disclose any information given in the course of the Expert Panel’s work unless the aWISH Consortium agrees to releases me from this obligation, and to respects the confidentiality requirements. I declare that I fully and unconditionally accept my appointment as an aWISH Expert Panel member as described in the Terms of Reference. I agree that any contribution I make as an aWISH Expert Panel member may be used by the aWISH consortium for reporting purposes or to align project activities to the needs of relevant stakeholders. I consent to the processing of my personal data necessary for my participation in the aWISH Expert Panel.

Welcome to the awISH Project website

Before we dig in we would like to know a little more about you. Group that describes you the best is: