By Julian Sparrey, Group Technical Director
As we move into the new year, with Livetec celebrating 15 years in business, it feels like a natural moment to look forward, what does the future hold? The conversation around biosecurity continues to evolve, and so does our role in helping producers understand risk, prepare effectively and make confident decisions.
Much of the year ahead will be shaped by ongoing conversations with producers, vets and industry leaders – here in the UK and internationally. Whether I’m speaking at events, working on farm or engaging with technical teams across the sector, the same themes continue to come through: how to spot risk earlier, how to make biosecurity practical, and how to be better prepared for what lies ahead.
Whether it’s poultry, pigs or wider livestock sectors, the principle remains the same: strong biosecurity isn’t about one-off actions, it’s about consistent, informed decision-making. By focusing on prediction, we can see risk coming. Through planning, we put structures in place. With preparedness, we ensure people know what to do. And through prevention, we reduce the impact before it escalates.
That thinking will continue to underpin much of my work in the months ahead. One area that remains a key focus is our work on wild bird tracking. By combining migration data with disease intelligence – including wild bird deaths and live AI outbreak tracking – we’re helping producers visualise avian influenza risk in a way that’s clear, local and actionable. As our platform, Livestock Protect, continues to develop, our aim is to strengthen how predictive insight supports earlier, more confident decision-making on farm.
Preparedness will also remain front and centre across other sectors. Building on the success of our ASF readiness workshops delivered alongside AHDB, NPA and BPA – engaging with more than 140 pig producers and vets – we are already planning further sessions. African swine fever remains one of the most significant threats facing the pig sector, and ensuring people feel informed, confident and prepared will continue to be a priority.
Across poultry, the momentum towards digital biosecurity continues to grow. With more than 4,300 poultry farms now on the platform, the sector is clearly embracing tools that support proactive risk management. What’s important to me is that this shift remains firmly grounded in the realities of life on farm – using data to create clarity, not complexity, and turning insight into action.
This direction feels particularly meaningful as we build on our 15-year journey. I’ve seen the business evolve from its early days delivering advice, depopulation services and supporting the sector through standby contracts, to becoming a digital-first operation. Our award-winning subscription-based digital platform helps producers get ahead of disease, manage risk and prepare for all eventualities through structured contingency planning.
While we continue to grow as a digital-first business, we remain committed to the principles that have shaped us from the start. Technology only works when it’s built on experience, trust and a deep understanding of the challenges producers face – and that will continue to guide how we innovate.
Our international work plays an important role in this too. By applying knowledge gained through years of working closely with UK producers, we’re helping to shape global biosecurity best practice and bringing valuable learning and perspective back into the UK sector.
As we look ahead, I’m confident that by continuing to combine experience with innovation, and data with on-the-ground understanding, we can help producers face whatever comes next with greater clarity and confidence. With further platform development already underway, the year ahead promises to be a busy and exciting one – and I’m looking forward to what we can achieve together.
