Keynote Lecture - Ben Aernouts

KEYNOTE LECTURE

Ben Aernouts

Faculty of Engineering Technology, Department of Biosystems, Unit of Animal and Human Health Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium

Precision dairy farming is reshaping milk production through the integration of sensing technologies, data analytics, and biological knowledge to support more informed and timely management decisions. This presentation explores how tools such as wearable sensors, automated milking systems, computer vision, and decision-support software are being used to continuously monitor animal health, behavior, and the farm environment. These systems enable earlier detection of disease, improved reproductive management, and more efficient use of feed, labor, and other resources.

Recent advances in sensor performance, data integration, and artificial intelligence have expanded the potential of precision dairy farming, allowing large volumes of real-time data to be translated into actionable insights. Examples from commercial dairy operations demonstrate how these technologies can improve animal welfare, productivity, and operational consistency, while also highlighting practical challenges related to data quality, system interoperability, economic returns, and user adoption. The presentation will address how producers and advisors can evaluate precision tools within the context of whole-farm management rather than as standalone technologies.

The role of precision dairy farming in supporting sustainability goals is also examined, including its potential to reduce environmental impacts, optimize resource use, and increase resilience to labor constraints and climate variability. Emerging developments such as predictive analytics, integrated farm platforms, and digital representations of animals and production systems suggest a shift toward more proactive and systems-based management approaches. Ultimately, effective implementation of precision dairy farming depends not only on technological innovation, but also on aligning data-driven insights with farmer experience and decision-making processes to deliver measurable value across the dairy sector.

Prof. Ben Aernouts is an expert in livestock production and precision dairy farming, serving as a professor in Management in Livestock Production at the Faculty of Engineering Technology, KU Leuven (Campus Geel), Belgium. He earned both his Master’s and PhD degrees in Bioscience Engineering from KU Leuven, completing his doctoral research on the optical behaviour of raw milk and its relation to quality attributes. Following his PhD, he continued as a postdoctoral researcher, applying his findings to the design and on-farm validation of advanced optical sensors for milk quality and cow health monitoring. To further expand his expertise in data processing, he also spent time as a visiting researcher at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).
Since October 2016, Prof. Aernouts has led the Livestock Technology Group, guiding a multidisciplinary team focused on the development, implementation and validation of innovative sensor technologies and data-processing algorithms to support data-driven livestock management. His research spans on-farm milk quality monitoring, cow and behaviour sensors, time-series analytics, and precision dairy decision support systems. In addition to his research, he teaches courses on livestock production, cattle management, and precision livestock farming.
Prof. Aernouts’ work bridges engineering, animal science and farm practice, with strong collaborations across academia, industry and agricultural stakeholders. His group’s projects address issues such as mastitis monitoring, milk yield dynamics, reproductive modelling, and resilient dairy cattle identification, all aimed at improving animal welfare, productivity and sustainability in modern dairy systems.