NEIKER-INSTITUTO VASCO DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO AGRARIO SA

Their core work

NEIKER is the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, focused on improving livestock production systems — particularly sheep and dairy — and advancing sustainable soil and crop science. Their core work spans animal genetics and nutrition, soil-plant-microbe interactions, and circular approaches to agricultural inputs like bio-based fertilizers from fishery waste. They operate at the intersection of applied agricultural research and farmer-facing knowledge exchange, frequently translating scientific findings into practical tools for European producers.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the earlier period (2015–2019), NEIKER balanced fundamental soil science — particularly rhizosphere imaging and nitrogen cycling in barley (SENSOILS) — with livestock sustainability assessments covering socio-economic factors, demographics, and climate adaptation for sheep and goat systems. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened toward applied livestock performance: feed efficiency, genomic selection, animal health and welfare, and practical nutrition management. Their most recent coordinated project (SEA2LAND, 2021) signals a new direction into circular economy fertilizers, linking fishery waste valorization with organic agriculture.

NEIKER is moving from broad sustainability assessment toward concrete circular economy solutions and precision livestock management, making them a strong fit for projects combining agricultural efficiency with waste valorization.

How they like to work

NEIKER balances leadership and partnership roughly equally — they coordinated 3 of their 8 projects, including their two largest-funded efforts (SENSOILS and SEA2LAND). They are comfortable in large European consortia, having worked with 109 unique partners across 28 countries, but they also bring deep domain expertise rather than serving as a generic participant. Their willingness to take coordinator responsibility on research-intensive projects suggests they are a reliable lead partner for agricultural and environmental topics.

NEIKER has built a broad European network of 109 consortium partners across 28 countries, reflecting their participation in large thematic networks and multi-actor projects. Their partnerships span Western and Southern Europe heavily, consistent with the sheep and dairy farming geography of the EU.

What sets them apart

NEIKER combines two research strengths rarely found together: deep expertise in small ruminant genetics and nutrition alongside strong soil science and plant-microbe capabilities. This dual competence makes them uniquely suited for projects addressing whole-farm sustainability — from what grows in the soil to what feeds the animals. Their recent move into bio-based fertilizers from fishery waste (SEA2LAND) positions them at the frontier of circular agriculture, connecting marine and terrestrial resource cycles.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SEA2LAND
  Their largest project (EUR 614K, coordinator role) and a strategic pivot into circular economy — converting fishery waste into bio-based fertilizers for organic farming.
• SENSOILS
  An ERC Consolidator Grant (EUR 347K to NEIKER), demonstrating high-caliber fundamental research capacity in rhizosphere nitrogen sensing and imaging.
• SMARTER
  A major EU initiative on small ruminant breeding for efficiency and resilience, linking genomic selection with welfare — NEIKER contributing applied animal genetics expertise.