Living Lab Ukraine - SheepHeatIT

Over the recent decades, the issue of global warming has been creating increasing challenges for humanity, particularly across various sectors of agriculture, including livestock production. Analysis of observational data from Ukrainian meteo-stations indicates that the average annual temperature increased by 0.5–0.7 °C over 100 years, with the rise in air temperature in Ukraine outpacing global trends. Different animal species and breeds possess distinct characteristics and respond differently to elevated ambient temperatures. In small ruminants, heat stress causes deterioration in body growth, physiology, morphology, blood biochemistry, reproduction, milk synthesis, as well as natural immunity.Today, sheep farming in Ukraine faces a whole range of challenges related to economic impacts, the transformation of the agricultural sector in accordance with EU requirements, and environmental factors. These environmental factors are linked not only to global climate change but are also significantly exacerbated by the impact of military actions currently taking place in certain regions of Ukraine.

Therefore, while the primary objective of scientific research remains the assessment of high temperatures and heat stress impacts on various sheep breeds across different regions of Ukraine, the UKR-SHLL (Ukrainian Sheep Heat Living Lab) will serve a broader function. It will establish a multi-actor platform encompassing the collection, processing, and analysis of data from researchers at scientific institutes and universities, smallholders (small farmers), large-scale enterprises, livestock and veterinary companies, relevant associations, professional societies, and local government authorities.Concurrently, the platform will function as a hub for establishing communication among all stakeholders, facilitating the rapid exchange of experience, knowledge, and consultations, and fostering co-creation to find joint solutions to shared challenges and questions. UKR-SHLL is also designed to become a valuable educational resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students, farmers, veterinarians, and other industry professionals.

UKR-SHLL will operate as a professional platform where data on key biological, economic, productive and clinical indicators of sheep of various breeds bred in Ukraine will be collected, analyzed and accumulated. The sources of this information may be scientific institutions of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Universities, farmers and livestock farms, individual sheep breeders, specialized associations and societies, students, volunteers, etc. IAB NAAS in cooperation with other advanced scientific centers will carry out scientific control and support of this work. Also, responsible UKR-SHLL specialists will provide methodological support and consultation to the involved participants in order to avoid errors and methodological artifacts. As a result, a living multi-level database of valuable data and important information will be created, the use of which will have both scientific and practical value.

UKR-SHLL (Ukrainian Sheep Heat Living Lab) will not only receive information and data from scientists from various institutions, scientific centers, institutes, universities, practitioners, farmers, various livestock enterprises, societies, associations and the like, but will have the opposite role – that is, it will be a source of this important information for all the listed participants, as well as all interested parties. Such data, and most importantly, scientifically sound conclusions that will arise from it, will be very useful and important for all subjects working in sheep breeding and related industries.

Also, UKR-SHLL will, we hope, be a very effective educational open source for young specialists, practitioners, students, postgraduates and farmers. All interested parties will receive the most relevant and up-to-date real information on many theoretical and practical aspects of sheep breeding and keeping in Ukraine and other European countries. UKR-SHLL will allow observing the real situation of the studied issues practically in real time.

From the above, it logically follows that UKR-SHLL (Ukrainian Sheep Heat Living Lab) will contribute to improving agriculture and promoting sustainability. This will include environmental, economic, social, or technological benefits. UKR-SHLL will be the first of its kind in Ukraine and, in addition to its specialized role, will be a good example for the creation of similar living laboratories in other areas and areas. Our living laboratory will allow us to solve a number of scientific, educational and socio-economic needs.