• About the arena

  DyreBar is NMBU's collaboration arena for research on sustainable livestock production, animal health, and animal welfare. The initiative was established by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the Faculty of Biosciences (BIOVIT), the Faculty of Science and Technology (RealTek), and the Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science (KBM).

  National food-supply preparedness is challenged by a low and declining rate of self-sufficiency, while agriculture faces growing demands to reduce its environmental and climate impact. DyreBar aims to strengthen national preparedness by developing robust and sustainable production systems, with a particular emphasis on feeding, breeding, animal health, and animal welfare.

• Thematic focus areas

  By bringing together complementary expertise in animal science, veterinary medicine, animal welfare, behavioural biology, chemometrics, sensor technology, statistics, and machine learning, the arena aims to develop knowledge and solutions for sustainable food systems.

  
  This initiative emphasises openness, academic integrity, and respect for diverse disciplinary perspectives, in line with NMBU's core values. The Livestock Production Research Centre (SHF) serves as the arena's central research platform, enabling integrated, practice-oriented, and methodologically robust studies across a range of livestock species.

  Indicators for animal health and welfare

  Through the application of advanced technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), deviations in behaviour and physiology can be identified at an early stage, enabling targeted measures to be taken before visible health and welfare problems arise. Simultaneously, behavioural traits and associated biomarkers can serve as phenotypes for breeding more robust animals. The arena builds, among other things, on ongoing work utilizing AI-based analysis of behaviour in pigs and dairy cattle, as well as mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy of milk to predict health status, energy balance, and methane emissions.

  Sustainable feeding regimes and production systems

  Promoting a circular bioeconomy in feed resources can significantly reduce the environmental impact of Norwegian livestock production. DyreBar will serve as a national point of contact for stakeholders seeking research-based support when introducing new feed ingredients. The arena will offer formulation, testing, and evaluation of feed solutions through controlled trials across dairy cattle, pigs, small ruminants, and poultry, enabling the systematic measurement of production, health, and welfare. At the same time, DyreBar emphasises that sustainable food systems may also require production methods that optimize and reduce overall resource consumption.

  Future-oriented data and analysis platforms

  Norwegian livestock production generates extensive register and sensor data, primarily including the health-recording scheme for cattle and parallel databases for small ruminants, pigs, and poultry. At the same time, data quality and a lack of validation remain a central challenge. DyreBar facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration across statistics, data science, animal and veterinary science, and animal welfare and ethology to develop and apply modern methods capable of integrating data from multiple sources of varying quality.

• Innovation and collaboration

  DyreBar aims to serve as a bridge between research, industry, and public administration, contributing to societal change through systematic, long-term collaboration with organizations, the public sector, and key players in the livestock industry. The Livestock Production Research Centre (SHF) is central to this work, operating as an open test arena where new feed resources, management practices, and technological solutions can be developed, tested, and documented under practice-oriented conditions. Through pilot projects, research groups can test innovative ideas, methods, and technologies in controlled settings.

• Doctoral training and lifelong learning

  Doctoral training is a central pillar of the arena. PhD candidates from relevant research communities take an active part in DyreBar's academic activities and networks, and the arena contributes to long-term capacity building through recruitment, supervision, and collaborative meeting places such as PhD days and supervisor lunches. To ensure the rapid uptake of research-based knowledge, these activities are linked closely to the development of new, interdisciplinary continuing-education (EVU) modules for veterinarians, advisers, agronomists, and technologists. These include modules on sustainable production systems, sensor technology, 'early warning' systems for health and welfare deviations, and decision support. In this way, the arena integrates research, doctoral training, and lifelong learning.

• Organisation

  DyreBar is led by a project group with representatives from the four participating faculties, and is coordinated on a day-to-day basis by the arena's coordinator. The project group is responsible for strategic planning, academic direction, and the overall implementation of the arena's activities.

• Project board

• Contributors

Planned activities

• Ongoing projects

  • iKu (Olav Reksen) Innovative analyses of milk components, sensor and registry data for improved breeding, health and reproduction in dairy cows.
  • Moo-ve (Ingrid Toftaker) Preparing Norwegian livestock against new threats: implications of cattle movements for antimicrobial resistance and emerging diseases
  • Svinesjekk (Ingrid Toftaker) New knowledge for improved inspection of Norwegian pig herds
  • NAMASTE (Ingrid Hunter Holmøy) New Approaches to MAstitis Treatment and Effective prevention
  • Fitpig (Inger Lise Andersen) Enhancing Gut Health and Welfare of Finishing Pigs: The Role of Physical Activity and Inclusion of Hay in the Diet
  • N_efficiency (Theodorus Meuwissen) Improving the nitrogen use efficiency of Norwegian dairy cattle

• Projects applied for in 2026

  • Hønemor (Randi O. Moe) New knowledge and AI camera monitoring to reduce mortality and wounds in broiler breeders (FFL/JA)
  • ClawCare (Erik G. Granquist) Investigates claw health and lameness in sows to prevent injuries and extend longevity (FFL/JA).
  • PAID (Olav Reksen) AI-based predictive models for improved health, welfare and feed efficiency in dairy cows (AgriFoodTech).
  • PigWAI (Marko Ocepek) Video-based AI prototype for continuous behavior-based welfare monitoring and early warning in finishing pigs (AgriFoodTech).
  • Kalveløftet (Camilla Kielland) Maps the causes of disease in calves and develops genetic evaluation for improved survival (FFL/JA).
  • IPED (Tesfaye Kebede Belay) Increased phosphorus use efficiency in Norwegian dairy cows (FFL/JA).
  • LONGRUN (Laila Aass) Animal health, robustness and resilience for sustainable ruminant production systems (FFL/JA).
  • GRASS (NIBIO, Egil Prestløkken) Explores advanced biorefining of grass into eggs, milk and fermentation products.
  • Clover2Protein (INN, Egil Prestløkken) Developing red clover as a sustainable protein source for Norwegian dairy production.
  • KjeFriMelk (Tove Gulbrandsen Devold) Investigates extended lactation in Norwegian dairy goat production (FFL/JA).

• Contact and participation

  DyreBar is an open forum, and we welcome contact with researchers, PhD candidates, industry stakeholders, and public actors who wish to contribute to or benefit from the arena. Whether you have a project idea, wish to participate in our seminars, or want to explore collaborations on feeding, animal health, or animal welfare, please feel free to get in touch!

  For questions about the arena and our activities, please contact coordinator Veslemøy Oma or project manager Olav Reksen.