Last week (26 & 27th of Feb) was the Animal Health Investment Europe Event, located in St Pauls, London. Industry leaders from across the world were in attendance to discuss the latest in the animal health industry, with presentations on topics ranging from modern attitudes to meat consumption, microbiome innovation, gender diversity in animal health and potential opportunities in insect protein.
Key speakers included Clint Lewis of Zoetis, Joachim Hasenmaier of Boehringer Ingelheim, and Jeff Simmons of Elanco. Hosted by Kisaco Research and held annually, the event is aimed towards bringing together stakeholders, showcasing innovation, and building an environment for entrepreneurship and growth.
IAHJ sat down with members of Elanco, Zoetis, Boehringer Ingelheim, RCVS, BVA, the House of Lords, IDEXX, Argenta, Clinvet and Proteon Pharmaceuticals to discuss their roles in the industry, and where they see the future of animal health going.
Interviewee answers have been condensed for length.
Rob Kelly, President of International Operations, Zoetis
1. What is your organisations role in the industry?
Zoetis is the largest animal health company in the world. We’re a public company, very diversified geographically and in terms of species. We’re split 50/50 between livestock and companion animals
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
Zoetis is an inaugural host of this event. We’re here as a market leader; to network and look for opportunities to invest.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
We see more decentralisation as the biggest issue. There’s lots of member states making their own regulations.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
The animal health industry is lagging slightly in this, but not in terms of agriculture. Animal health is starting to catch up to the opportunities AI can offer; we will see this in livestock first.
Aaron Schacht, Vice President of Global Research & Development, Elanco:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
Elanco is the 4th largest company in animal health, with a broad role in the industry, within both food and companion animals. We cover predominantly cats and dogs, cows, pigs, chicken and fish. What is your reason for attending the event?
To interact with peers, stay relevant and on top with the industry, as well as for partnership opportunities. We’re here to meet new companies, progress, celebrate success with current partners, and focus on external innovation.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe and the rest of the world?
The industry needs a regulatory system that reflects trends, population growth, etc. As a global company, we don’t perceive anything challenging with Brexit. There are changing societal needs that need to be met. In terms of the U.S and Europe, we’re seeing a rise in protein consumption as well as pet ownership. There’s a lot of growth in these areas, and therefore more competition.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
AI will create higher performance computing, as well as big data analysis. It will also be very important in research and development, and become a part of the way we do science. Insights can be gleamed in terms of vet practice against market trends – AI will help vets do their jobs better, make their practice smarter. AI will also have a huge impact on precision farming, such as managing disease, disease outcomes, using data for economic outcomes and creating more sophisticated use of this data.
Joachim Hasenmaier, Head of the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
Boehringer Ingelheim is the second largest animal health company in the world. We provide advanced, preventive animal healthcare. We develop vaccines, parasiticides, therapeuticals to protect animals against diseases and pain, as well as advanced therapies to help manage chronic diseases more effectively.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
For us, this is a key event in the industry when it comes to finding the right partners and seeing a broad spectrum of companies in the area of managing animal health in one place. We continuously look at options how we can enhance our solutions to customers.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe and the rest of the world?
We are a global business, and we operate in 150 countries. We naturally monitor the political situation in individual countries and worldwide, and closely watch trends that may impact our business, such as climate change, environmental impact, consumers’ attitudes towards animal welfare, and others.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
AI and technology overall is having an impact on many industries including ours. That’s one of the reasons why we are also going to these events, to see what types are technologies are emerging and how we can leverage them. In addition, we invest into our own research and development. The animal health industry finds itself in a transition – the livestock sector needs to respond to global demands, the companion animal owners are desperate to see their furry family members live longer and healthier lives. So there is a huge push towards more innovation, and technology will revolutionise the future of animal health.
Chris Tufnell, Veterinary Surgeon, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
We’re a regulator of veterinary nurses and surgeons in the U.K, as well as a college. Our role is centred around standards, education and advancing development. We’ve recently created VIVET – the vet futures initiative, which asks professionals their concerns about the future. One of their biggest concerns was about innovation. We have 3 aims – to showcase innovations, showcase vet professions to innovators, and as a regulator, enable us to see where there are regulatory concerns.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
We’re looking at innovations, start-ups, etc. We’re also here to meet up with contacts in the industry, network, etc.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
Brexit won’t directly affect RCVS. There will still be a need to showcase innovations in the U.K. We are concerned about manpower though – 50% of vets are non-U.K, European citizens. Trade in animals and animal products agriculture will also be affected. After 40 years, we have developed strong networks with Europe.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
AI will completely transform the industry long term. Algorithms can take over a lot of what is done. It will enhance what we do hugely over the next 50-100 years, mainly people working in conjunction with robotics.
Simon Doherty, President, British Veterinary Association:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
BVA is a representative body, spanning the whole sector of animal health. We have a number of species specific groups. We’re a lobbying organisation, encompassing young vet students to vets later on in their career. We focus on young vet engagement, and are a membership organisation, focusing on policy making structure, new diagnostics and innovation. We want to make sure vets are informed. We work closely with the RVCS, and work towards providing resources and career diversification. We also do media campaigning – lately we have been focusing on non-stun slaughter. We also have Vet Futures, looking at what the profession might look like in 2030.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
Investment opportunities. The forum first focused on investment, now it’s opened up to other areas in recent years. The profession has changed due to corporisation.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
The U.K is a world leader in animal health. We want to maintain those high standards. We have world class vets, researchers, institutes, but Brexit will have its challenges. In terms of R&D funding and support, there’s always been a lot of interest in U.K programmes.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
There will be a huge focus on tech, generating lots of data. What do we do with that raw data? How do we interpret it, turn it into something useful? We’ll use it to properly benchmark welfare, smart decision making and machine learning. We’re already seeing machines learning stuff. But its about maintaining that human element to it – there still needs to be a level of quality assurance. AI will never replace what vets can do, researchers, etc.
Dr. Gabrielle Laing, Parliamentary Intern to Lord Trees, House of Lords:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
I’m the sole member of the Vet Policy Research Foundation, which was founded by Lord Trees. We focus on agriculture, animal welfare and livestock.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
To keep on top of what’s happening in the industry, listening to presentations and panel discussions and taking that info elsewhere. Also to address issues within the industry, such as antimicrobial resistance, vaccine development, the affects of Brexit on agriculture, and work force issues.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
In terms of Brexit, we have to make the best of what happens. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, a lot of legislation is statutory, and looking at UK-ing European regulations. The focus now is on changing to a system where vets from accredited schools in Europe can come to the U.K. It’s likely to be a small but significant change.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
Policy is a people based sector. In terms of harnessing technology, AI could fill a lot of gaps and allow more efficiency and sustainability. The industry is at a tipping point, and AI has a lot of potential in terms of the relationship between the vet and the pet and pet owner.
Shelly Hadley, Commercial Manager EMEA, IDEXX BioAnalytics:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
We’re one of the top veterinarian diagnostic companies. We work within companion animal health and livestock diagnostics. IDEXX BioAnalytics is focused on research. We provide a range of diagnostic texts to support research.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
We’re here for business opportunities, and to provide bigger awareness of the services IDEXX offers.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
Globally we have nearly 60 labs, with a strong network of how we can move samples. Brexit shouldn’t affect us, though we will have to make changes to minimise disruption.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
We use AI in a basic sense, looking at trends and patterns globally. Our main focus is on data; providing more predictives of prevalence and disease data.
Dr. Doug Cleverly, Founder and CEO of Argenta:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
We research and develop, and subsequently manufacture and supply animal health products to the international market.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
Connecting with people that have needs, helping start-ups, etc. We have a strong innovation focus and are investing into developing technologies.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
We don’t normally have any issues with respect to political systems and so forth. I don’t think it affects us really. There’s patent law, things like that, so the protection of various ideas and so forth; especially as more of our technologies enter into Europe, China, etc, countries that have not as robust patent law. Some of the regulatory systems could be better harmonized. If the systems were harmonised, it would mitigate Brexit having an affect on these.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
AI has come up as a potential adjacency that we could get into. Its about using information as opposed to Artificial Intelligence, ways of procuring information about the health of animals in real time, and then plugging that into some sort of AI platform that can give you some sort of diagnostic read out as to how the animal is performing, how the animal is feeling, things the animal might require. That would be the way we would look at using artificial intelligence.
Maxime Madder, Director of Biologics and Infectious Diseases, Clinvet:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
We’re a CRO that’s been in the industry for 20 years and started in South Africa. We have new facilities in Morocco and New York. We started with companion animals, then grew to livestock. We do a lot of field studies in Europe for parasites etc and basic research.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
Mainly partnerships.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
Brexit has no influence on Clinvet, we don’t forsee any impact. It will create opportunities for registration, more studies etc in Europe, so it’s better for Europe overall.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
AI will have a huge impact in the future, for example with animal behaviour, animal movement, continuous monitoring. It will help determine changes in patterns that might indicate something is wrong, such as disease detection. This is something that already exists. Remote monitoring will also be used for livestock, it’s difficult to diagnose in a large herd, but this can be done with sensors, AI, toxicity tests. AI will never replace biology, but it will help us understand it better.
Matthew Tebeau, Chief Operating Officer, Proteon Pharmaceuticals SA:
1. What is your organisations role in the animal health industry?
Eliminate unnecessary use of antibiotics through microbiomes. We work with poultry, aqua and dairy.
2. What is your reason for attending the event?
Partnerships.
3. What is your opinion on the current political system? How do you forsee growth patterns in Europe?
Europe has a more stringent regulatory framework. This poses both benefits and challenges.
4. What are your opinions on the implications of Artificial Intelligence in the animal health industry?
We’re already using AI. Artificial intelligence is going to unblock some previously difficult challenges, as well as revealing new challenges.
