On 10 June 2026, the DECIDE consortium gathered at the University Foundation in Brussels for the project’s Final Event, “From Insights to Implementation”. Hosted in a historic venue with more than 100 years of tradition in bringing scientists together, the event provided a fitting setting to reflect on five years of collaborative research, innovation and stakeholder engagement.
Around 70 participants from across Europe joined the event, including researchers from different disciplines, veterinarians, animal health authorities, industry representatives and knowledge transfer organisations. Throughout the day, the audience actively engaged in discussions, networking exchanges and the poster session, highlighting the strong interest in data-driven approaches to animal health decision-making.
The programme opened with insights from DECIDE, where work package leaders shared experiences, key achievements and lessons learned from across the project. These presentations offered a behind-the-scenes perspective on the scientific, technical and practical challenges involved in developing data-driven decision-support tools for animal disease control.
The second part of the event focused on the DECIDE tools in action. Species group leaders presented highlights from the tools developed for salmon, poultry, pigs and cattle, showing how project results can support disease prevention, monitoring and control in different animal production systems. It included a live demo by Miel Hostens of a decision support tool that implements the federated learning concept. “The first time ever this was applied in the animal health domain!” he proudly emphasised. Several tools were then explored in more detail through dedicated interactive workshops, giving participants the opportunity to discuss their application, usability and future implementation.
The day concluded with a lively panel discussion on moving from insights to implementation. Participants were invited to vote on a series of statements addressing key challenges encountered during the project, including data re-use, tool development, animal welfare, artificial intelligence and the roles of academia and industry. The responses confirmed both the promise and complexity of translating data-driven tools into practical use across countries, sectors and species.
The DECIDE Final Event demonstrated the value of collaboration across disciplines, countries and animal species. While several challenges remain, the project has taken important steps towards the development and implementation of data-driven tools that can support better animal health and welfare decisions in Europe.
The DECIDE consortium warmly thanks all speakers, panellists, workshop moderators, participants and partners for contributing to the final event and to the project’s five-year journey.
