The NOVUS Award was created to recognize excellence in dairy research and innovation carried out by young scientists.
“The award is really a unique opportunity focused on sharing research and networking,” says NOVUS Technical Service Manager Edwin Westreicher, Dr. sc. agr. “The winner at the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP) Annual Meeting has an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) Annual Meeting in the United States and vice versa for the winner at ADSA. It’s a great opportunity for young people to present their work, demonstrate their contribution to the industry, and help them grow their careers.”
The 2024 winner at EAAP, Martin Julius Gote, recently traveled from Europe to the United States to present his research and network with industry professionals at ADSA. Gote, who is a Ph.D. researcher with the Livestock Technology group, Biosystems Department, KU Leuven in Belgium, was selected as the NOVUS Award winner for his work in precision livestock farming technology, specifically in data management and advanced data analytics.
“Working on dairy sensor data, I have been building a background in dairy farming with automatic milking systems, specifically with emphasis on milk production, milk quality, disease detection, and the related sensing and data management,” Gote says. “My Ph.D. project involves an automated pipeline to collect sensor data from dairy farms, apply a disease detection algorithm starting with milk yield deviation as a proxy for health problems, and present this data directly to the farmer to ask for validity and additional feedback.”
Gote says the end goal is to develop software that farmers globally can use.
Thanks to the NOVUS Award, Gote says he had the opportunity to discuss his work with dairy experts he may not have met otherwise.
“While I have been attending the EAAP conferences throughout the last few years, the NOVUS Award allowed me to visit the U.S., present at ADSA, which was an amazing opportunity to see research conducted outside of the European Union, building new connections and discussing my own work, that would for sure not have been possible otherwise.”
During the ADSA Annual Meeting last month, Gote presented the findings of his Ph.D. project in a talk titled, Real-time milk yield prediction and health monitoring system for dairy cows.
“In this presentation, I particularly focused on the first trial phase that we had with two dairy farms in Belgium for three months,” he says. “While we could show as a proof of concept that the entire pipeline was working as intended, we also used this trial phase to gather feedback data to improve both the model and the interface, and to better understand and distinguish between diseases given the information we collect.”
As he works to complete his education, Gote says he hopes his professional career will include contributing more to the development, implementation, and adoption of novel technologies on farms. “In addition, I would like to contribute to knowledge transfer, whether to students or professionals in agriculture, such as farmers, veterinarians, or advisors, as I believe this is one of the most critical tasks we have: to raise awareness and increase the adoption of new technology and knowledge,” he says.
“We’re glad Martin was able to take full advantage of the opportunities afforded through the NOVUS Award,” Westreicher says. “Encouraging and supporting the next class of industry professionals is vital for the growth and sustainability of the animal agriculture industry. NOVUS is honored to play its part.”
The 2025 NOVUS Award winner from ADSA is expected to be announced later this month.
For more information about award opportunities through these dairy organizations, visit eaap.org and adsa.org.
NOVUS provides intelligent nutrition solutions that help animals reach their full potential. The company portfolio includes bis-chelated trace minerals, enzymes, organic acids, eubiotics, and methionine sources that are Made of More™. To learn how NOVUS supports dairy cows around the world, visit novusint.com.
