TWIN4MILK drives the digital transformation of dairy cattle through digital twins and explainable artificial intelligence

• The Operational Group will develop predictive and interoperable tools to improve the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of dairy farms.

The TWIN4MILK Operational Group was created with the aim of transforming the dairy cattle production model through the application of digital twins and explainable artificial intelligence . The project offers an innovative response to the current crisis and fragmentation of the livestock sector, providing digital solutions that will improve the management of dairy farms and strengthen their competitiveness.

Through the integration of genomic, nutritional, production, and socioeconomic data, TWIN4MILK aims to create predictive, transparent, and interoperable tools that support farmers, cooperatives, and consultants in their decision-making. The goal is to move towards more efficient and sustainable farms, better prepared to face the economic, environmental, and social challenges of the dairy sector.

The project focuses on practical digitalization applied to the daily operations of livestock farms, providing clear and action-oriented information. To achieve this, explainable artificial intelligence will enable digital models not only to generate predictions but also to offer a clear interpretation of the results, fostering more autonomous and informed decision-making.

Digital twins to simulate and improve farm management

One of the main focuses of TWIN4MILK is the modeling and characterization of dairy farms . This phase will generate a knowledge base from genetic, nutritional, and socioeconomic information, with the aim of better understanding the operation of different farm models.

Based on this information, the project involves the design and validation of functional digital twins of dairy farms. These digital twins will serve as simulation and decision-support tools, integrating structured real-world data and operational efficiency criteria to improve productivity, sustainability, and animal welfare.

An interoperable platform for the dairy sector

TWIN4MILK will also develop a federated and interoperable digital platform capable of integrating data from different sources and deploying explainable artificial intelligence models. This platform will connect diverse information and facilitate its use by the various stakeholders in the dairy ecosystem.

Interoperability will be key for farmers, cooperatives, industries and advisors to access value-added tools and work with integrated data, improving planning, process efficiency and the predictive capacity of farms.

Furthermore, the project will assess the technical, economic, and ethical viability of the developed digital model, analyzing its real-world applicability in different types of livestock farming and the impacts derived from the use of data in the agri-food ecosystem.

Economic, environmental and social impact

TWIN4MILK anticipates a positive impact for farmers, cooperatives, industries, and consultants alike. For farms, the developed tools could contribute to cost reduction, increased profitability, and a rapid return on investment for digitalization.

For cooperatives, industries, and advisory services, the project opens up the possibility of offering new value-added services, increasing farmer loyalty, improving competitiveness against large operators, and facilitating access to new markets.

In the environmental field, TWIN4MILK aims to contribute to reducing the carbon footprint at the farm level, with an estimated reduction of up to 15% , as well as facilitating the identification of correlations that allow for more effective measures to be taken against climate change.

From a social point of view, the digitalization of the dairy sector can promote the creation of skilled rural jobs, help combat depopulation and the lack of generational renewal, encourage the participation of rural women and improve the social image of the new profile of livestock farmer, more technologically advanced, connected and oriented towards innovation.

Entities benefiting from the project

The TWIN4MILK Operational Group includes the participation of entities specializing in innovation, livestock, technology and agri-food cooperation.

AFRICOR Lugo leads the Operational Group. It is a non-profit association that represents livestock farmers in Lugo and has been carrying out the official Milk Recording program since 1992.

Medrar Innovation Office , an agrotech consultancy specializing in R&D&I and in the management and coordination of high-impact projects in the agri-food sector, is also participating.

The consortium also incorporates ASM Soft , a software company with more than 35 years of experience in ERP and MES-MOM solutions for the food industry; the Technological Institute of Galicia (ITG) , a technology center specializing in artificial intelligence and ICT applied to the primary sector; and Transmedia , a technology company linked to the development of software solutions.

It is also part of the AIRA SCG project, a large Galician agricultural cooperative that provides technical, veterinary and commercial services to more than 2,700 livestock farming members.

With this multidisciplinary collaboration, TWIN4MILK aims to become a benchmark tool for advancing towards a more digital, efficient, sustainable and competitive dairy sector.