ERIN final conference

The research infrastructure is of key importance for future research on ruminants in Europe. The ERIN project is identifying the present trends and future needs for experimental research on ruminant physiology and farming systems. Additionally it is locating and characterising European experimental facilities. These two sets of information are used to produce scenarios of organisation of the European research infrastructure for ruminants. 

ERIN held a public conference with the aim of identifying the best scenarios for organising the research infrastructure in Europe to match future needs for research on ruminants. 

On March 11th and 12th 2010, the ERIN Stakeholders' Conference was held at the headquarters of the National Research Institute of Animal Production (NRIAP, Cracow-Balice, Poland). The conference was attended by 108 people, mostly researchers, from all over Europe. Mr Tadeuz Nalewajk, vice-minister of agriculture in Poland, and Jędrzej Krupiński, director of NRIAP, opened the conference. Results of ERIN were presented and followed by highly contributing presentations of external speakers. Additionally, three workshops were organized in order to elaborate possible scenarios for creation of a European research infrastructure network for research on ruminants. The conference participants shared the opinion that the conference met its goals. The main conclusion was that a European shared infrastructure, in the form of a network of facilities in Europe, will be essential for an integrated approach to global issues such as the need to decrease the environmental impact of farming while increasing economic strength of Europe. At the same time, it would increase the efficiency of research on animals in Europe (less animals, avoidance of duplication, access to animal models e.g. for biomedical research) and enhance research expertise in Europe (through exchanges of procedures, training of personnel, and specific methodological studies).
 
The proceedings provide complete documentation of the conference presentations, authors’ biographies and contact details.  

 
The program combined the presentations of results from ERIN, talks by invited speakers, and workshops. Click on the title of a presentation in program to access to the file (when available).