GEA opens new software lab to strengthen its AI capabilities in dairy farming

IRELAND – GEA has expanded its digital footprint in dairy farming with the official opening of a new software lab in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The pioneering AI solution is engineered to quickly detect and predict lameness in cows and to provide critical data to assess the body condition score.

Today, the system is used in over 140 farms across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia, monitoring over 200,000 cattle across 23 different countries. The CattleEye software is part of GEA’s DairyNet portfolio for modern herd management.

“With our new software lab in Belfast, GEA is strengthening its role as a technology leader in digital dairy farming,” said Andreas Seeringer, CEO of GEA Farm Technologies.

“By improving animal health and well‑being through AI‑based solutions like CattleEye, dairy farms become more efficient, more sustainable, and ultimately more profitable. That is why we commit to accelerating development in this area, driving technology innovation in our digital herd management solutions.”

Dairy farming expertise from Northern Ireland

Following GEA’s acquisition of CattleEye in 2024, the system has already added important capabilities to its extensive next-generation farming portfolio. The expansion will enable new technical opportunities of the system and further AI integration.

Northern Ireland with its strong dairy farming culture and an emerging tech scene is a stronghold in the broader digitization strategy of GEA.

Terry Canning, CattleEye co-founder and Senior Director at GEA, explained, “The new software lab will be a significant milestone in integrating CattleEye fully into our state-of-the-art herd management systems and will extend our digital footprint in farming.

“In the future, farmers can expect features which help reduce additional investments in equipment and necessary animal treatments. It will also help customers to farm more efficiently and cut greenhouse gas emissions through automated data insights.”

With the new software lab, the CattleEye team is expanding with 20 new software and UX roles in Northern Ireland. The new team will improve efficiency and user experience of the GEA Dairy Net App.

“I am confident that this investment will drive further growth in the future. We are grateful to have Invest Northern Ireland at our side, sharing our commitment to advancing AI capabilities and supporting talent development,” added Terry Canning.

Northern Ireland’s regional economic development agency, Invest NI, has offered financial support towards the new GEA software lab in Belfast and the creation of new jobs in the region.

Invest NI’s R&D support for this project is in part funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).

Data drives breeding work

The expansion follows new research presented at the World Dairy Expo 2025 in Wisconsin. Scientists confirmed that genetics play a stronger role in cow lameness than many farmers once believed.

Researchers analyzed millions of daily mobility scores collected through the CattleEye system. Cameras record cows as they leave the milking area and software evaluates their movement without human bias.

Terry Canning said the findings open new paths for breeding healthier cattle.

“We are looking at breeding cows that simply do not get lame as often,” he said. “This is not only about treating lameness better or catching it earlier. It is about building herds where the problem occurs far less. That improves animal welfare and farm economics.”

Early analysis suggests mobility traits may show heritability between 10 percent and 30 percent, which gives breeders a useful foundation for long term herd improvement.

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