PIG-PARADIGM poised for impact beyond the project lifetime
As PIG-PARADIGM enters its final phase, project coordinator Professor Charlotte Lauridsen believes the consortium is building real momentum.
"This is really giving me the impression that the project is on the right track," she said. "In general it has been really inspiring."
Reflecting on the annual meeting, Charlotte Lauridsen was encouraged not only by the quality of the science, but by the growing focus on how research can create change in practice.
"We need to continuously move from outputs to outcomes," she explained.
For Charlotte Lauridsen, that means ensuring that discoveries are translated into better disease management, reduced antibiotic use and evidence-based decision making across the livestock sector.
A key priority now is making sure the project's findings are shared widely.
"Please get your things published," she urged the consortium's researchers. "The role of the supervisors is to make sure that the students are going to publish."
As many PhD students and postdoctoral researchers prepare for the next stage of their careers, publication is essential to ensure that valuable knowledge remains accessible and can continue to influence the field.
Looking ahead, Charlotte Lauridsen sees PIG-PARADIGM's legacy extending far beyond its official end date. The consortium has already generated an exceptional volume of data and biological samples that will support future re-search for years to come.
"The most important results we have developed now in this project are the amount of data we have already created."
At the same time, the project is intensifying its communication and outreach efforts, with researchers encouraged to create new opportunities for dissemination and international collaboration.
"Please take responsibility to make this happen if you foresee an opportunity," she said. "It is where the network is also created."
Throughout the discussion, one message stood out: PIG-PARADIGM is more than a research project. It is becoming a platform that connects scientists, veterinarians, industry and policymakers around a shared challenge.
"Please be aware that PIG-PARADIGM has such a global perspective."
Far from winding down, the consortium is entering a phase focused on ensuring that its scientific achievements translate into lasting impact. As Lauridsen put it:
“What is to come is that we are going to interpret all this that we have produced.”
Science is already delivering results. The next step is making sure those results continue to shape sustainable pig production and antimicrobial resistance strategies long after the project ends.