7 Mar 2023
Zoetis and the University of Surrey have announced a new phase of their groundbreaking partnership during an event at the Royal Society in London.
Vet Times
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G Q Max Lu, president and vice-chancellor of University of Surrey (left), with Jamie Brannan, executive vice-president and president, international operations and aquaculture at Zoetis.
Academics and company bosses have set up a new project they hope will lead moves towards sustainability in the agri-health sector.
The Veterinary Health Innovation Engine (vHive) initiative has become a significant driver in animal health research since it was launched by Zoetis and the University of Surrey in 2015.
Now, the two organisations have unveiled vHive 2.0, which they say will apply lessons from human health in areas like AI and health informatics to develop new solutions for vets, pet owners and farmers alike.
It will include the development of what is being described as a “specific animal health incubator” focusing on start-ups working on issues relating to both companion animals and livestock.
The scheme, which was unveiled during an event at the Royal Society in London, is also pioneering the use of social listening, which analyses social media activity, to determine how to best support pet owners with common conditions.
Rimma Driscoll, Zoetis’ executive vice president, said: “There is a very good complementarity on the expertise that Zoetis and University of Surrey are contributing to in this partnership towards innovation and forward-thinking technologies in this sector.
“We expect that vHive will benefit the agri-health industry tremendously and towards sustainability.
“This initiative also fortifies Zoetis’ commitment towards animal health innovation, and we take pride in our continued partnership with University of Surrey, which we are sure will bring greater success and opportunities in time to come.”
Project director Tony Whetton said the project would allow all the available data to be used in conjunction with modern informatics methods.
He said: “Crucially, this is designed for industrial need – data can be stored in a trusted, secure environment and only made accessible to those who need it. From there, we move to solutions to improve animal health and food security.”
The vHive programme is already supporting the work of the African Livestock Productivity and Health Advancement (ALPHA) programme, which is helping to train more than 100,000 veterinary professionals across sub-Saharan Africa by 2025.
Zoetis executive vice-president Jamie Brannan added: “We are honoured to be part of vHive and now vHive 2.0, as the outputs will be relevant for industry development – helping to advance the animal health sector globally. Investing in innovation is crucial for Zoetis and its customers as we look to deliver the next generation of solutions for improving the health and welfare of animals.”
