Visions of the future for AU Foulum

The air was thick with constructive, exciting and visionary ideas at a meeting about visions for a future AU Foulum that was held in Foulum on 28 January 2019. 

The idea for the research complex that is now called AU Foulum were hatched in the 1970s and the first buildings were erected in the 1980s. They reflected the needs that were prevalent at that time and have served researchers and society very well through the decades. The question now is where we would like to head and which research facilities we need in the future. 

With words along these lines, Director Niels Halberg, DCA, introduced the meeting to develop ideas for AU Foulum, where approximately 50 people, mainly seniorVIP, turned up to contribute to influencing the future of the research centre. 

In his introductory talk, Niels Halberg referred to a not yet-published research strategy from the Danish Agriculture & Food Council that very apropos indicates seven future research platforms. In this regard, it would be obvious to develop and highlight the facilities and expertise at AU Foulum, which fit the proposed platforms like a glove. 

Investments in a sustainable future

Six speakers presented ideas for a range of research areas that can be further developed at AU Foulum. Some of the ideas require funding while some of the ideas need another type of investment: increased integration and interdisciplinary collaboration, and improved visibility of the research platforms and the expertise that already exists at AU Foulum. 

After the ideas were presented, there was group work with the aim of further developing the ideas, after which the ideas in a revised form were presented to Dean Niels Chr. Nielsen and Vice-Dean Kurt Nielsen, ST. The following ideas were presented: 

1. AU Foulum as a digitalised workshop farm: research and demonstration facilities for development and testing of new technologies and use of digitalisation
2. Platform for sustainable animal production, including high animal welfare and low use of antibiotics
3. AU Foulum as a platform for the bio-based society/industry/economy
4. AU Foulum: Towards zero emission agriculture – a local iClimate unit with international perspective
5. AU Foulum as a platform for development and demonstration of agroecological practices and a biodiversity-based society

Complex challenges require interdisciplinary answers

Many of the ideas centred on having AU Foulum as a hotspot or platform for extensive interdisciplinary research areas with the inclusion of people from several departments at AU and externally, e.g. businesses, The Danish Nature Agency or the Danish Agriculture & Food Council. A unique feature of the site is that it has extensive facilities, technologies, data and expertise that cover the whole range of the circular bioeconomy from field, machinery, and animal housing to laboratories, biogas and biomass. 

Some of the ideas can also have mutual interfaces or can combine with each other. For example, one of the wishes in idea number one is to maintain a certain distance to regular agricultural fields. This could be combined with the wishes in idea number five about working with different combinations of agriculture and nature (and perhaps silviculture). In the same way, digitalisation of AU Foulum as a work platform could support new methods for promoting nature and biodiversity in agriculture, which is also part of the Danish Agriculture & Food Council’s new strategy. 

Creating an attractive and dynamic centre can attract students, researchers and collaborative partners from Denmark and other countries. Since AU Foulum has a somewhat out of the way location, it would be a logistical advantage if there was a regular shuttlebus between Foulum and Aarhus, and if it was possible to stay one or more nights in on-site dormitory or hostel-type of accommodations.  

 The next step in the process is to work on the ideas with the aim of having a coordinated and concrete effort. Fortunately, Niels Christian Nielsen and Kurt Nielsen were very positive about the ideas.