LIVECoVET Takes Part in the 4th EAAP Regional Meeting in Sassari

LIVECoVET participated in the 4th EAAP Regional Meeting – Mediterranean Region, held from 20 to 22 May 2026 in Sassari, Italy.

Representing the project, Amélie Canon, LIVECoVET Project Coordinator at KU Leuven, presented a poster showcasing some of the results gathered within LIVECoVET and shared the project’s work with researchers and professionals from the animal science community.

Sharing Results With the Animal Science Community

The presentation highlighted the importance of addressing skills gaps in livestock farming and strengthening Vocational Education and Training as a driver for more sustainable, digital and future-ready livestock systems.

The results shared are based on the participation of 200 stakeholders: 80 farmers, 65 VET providers and educators, and 55 advisors and feed suppliers.

Key Barriers Identified

The work presented during the conference highlighted three main areas affecting the adoption of digital tools and technologies:

• Lack of skills and training: low digital literacy among farmers to use and interpret digital tools, and a lack of digital skills among teachers.

• Costs and practical constraints: high investment and maintenance costs, low perceived return on investment, connectivity issues in rural and mountain areas, data overload and time-consuming management, and fragmentation of digital solutions.

• Perceptions and sociological factors: scepticism towards complex and expensive technologies, seen as distancing farmers from the field, not profitable, or not fitting small-scale farming.

To address these barriers, LIVECoVET is developing practical training resources, digital tools and a curriculum adapted to the real needs of livestock professionals, helping to strengthen digital skills and support technology adoption.

Connecting Research, Education and Practice

The EAAP Regional Meeting provided a valuable opportunity to share LIVECoVET’s work beyond the consortium, exchange knowledge with the animal science community and increase the visibility of the project at European level.

The positive response to the poster and the discussions generated during the event also helped to further disseminate the project’s results and strengthen connections between research, vocational education and livestock practice.