GEA has opened a new software development lab in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as it steps up investment in AI for dairy herd management.

According to the company, the new site will add 20 research and development jobs and focus on CattleEye, GEA’s AI-based livestock monitoring solution, alongside related digital products for farms.

CattleEye, acquired by GEA in 2024, is designed to detect and predict lameness in cows and to provide data for body condition scoring. GEA said the system is already in use on more than 140 farms across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia, monitoring more than 200,000 cattle in 23 countries. The software is part of the company’s DairyNet portfolio for herd management.

For the dairy sector, the move underlines how animal health monitoring is becoming more closely tied to farm economics. Earlier identification of lameness and changes in body condition can help producers reduce treatment needs, support welfare outcomes and make management decisions faster, especially as labor efficiency and sustainability remain under pressure.

GEA said the Belfast expansion will support deeper integration of CattleEye into its herd management systems and improve the efficiency and user experience of the GEA Dairy Net App. The company also said future development is expected to help farmers reduce additional equipment investment, lower treatment requirements and cut greenhouse gas emissions through automated data insights.

Northern Ireland’s dairy base and growing tech ecosystem were key factors in the decision, the company indicated. The project has also received backing from Invest Northern Ireland, with part of the R&D support funded through the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.

The announcement signals continued momentum behind digital tools that link cow health, productivity and farm profitability, with AI increasingly positioned as a practical management layer rather than a standalone innovation.