Future Flemish Pig

The overall goal of the ICON project is to acquire knowledge about current challenges in pig production and processing chains in Flanders and enhance collaboration throughout the chain. More specifically, strategies are developed to:
1) Improve animal welfare.

2) Reduce losses, both at the animal level (before slaughter) and at the carcass level (after slaughter).

3) Enhance the taste and quality of fresh pork and dried ham.

4) Gain new insights into the resilience of meat pigs concerning variations in feed.

5) Explore the potential of blockchain technology in the pig production and processing chain for increased transparency.

In this project, Howest's research group, Security and Privacy, is involved. The research group is responsible for studying and developing blockchain applications in the meat sector. The results are tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Business partner Dekeyser-Ossaer is responsible for further developing digital services (B2B and B2C) based on the blockchain applications developed by Howest. They are also involved in creating mutually beneficial business models with suppliers and customers, accelerating these processes for the benefit of consumers.