STATENS VETERINAERMEDICINSKA ANSTALT

Their core work

SVA is Sweden's National Veterinary Institute, serving as the country's primary authority on animal health, zoonotic diseases, and food safety. They conduct diagnostic testing, epidemiological surveillance, and applied research covering the full chain from animal disease outbreaks to foodborne pathogens reaching consumers. Their work spans laboratory reference services (validating detection instruments for avian influenza, salmonella, campylobacter), field epidemiology of livestock diseases, and development of data-driven decision support tools for disease control. They operate at the intersection of veterinary science, public health, and food safety — the core of the One Health concept.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SVA's early H2020 work (2017-2018) focused on classical veterinary infectious disease research — bluetongue virus epidemiology, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever vaccines, and broad One Health surveillance of foodborne zoonoses. From 2020 onward, there is a clear shift toward data-driven and digital approaches: syndromic surveillance systems, decision support tools, AI-assisted antiviral development, and integration of economics and social sciences into disease control. The pandemic also triggered a pivot into human-relevant virology (SARS-CoV-2), where SVA stepped up as a coordinator rather than just a participant.

SVA is moving from traditional lab-based disease surveillance toward digitally-enabled, economics-informed decision support for animal health — making them increasingly relevant for projects that combine veterinary science with data analytics and policy tools.

How they like to work

SVA primarily operates as a strong participant (5 of 6 projects), but demonstrated coordination capability with MAD-CoV 2 — notably their most scientifically ambitious project. With 96 unique partners across 31 countries, they maintain a wide European network rather than relying on a small circle of repeat collaborators. Their participation in large joint programming actions (One Health EJP) and multi-partner research consortia suggests they are comfortable in large, distributed teams and valued for their national reference laboratory infrastructure and regulatory expertise.

SVA has collaborated with 96 unique partners across 31 countries, reflecting a genuinely pan-European network. Their One Health EJP participation alone connects them to a large web of national food safety and veterinary agencies across the EU.

What sets them apart

SVA occupies a rare position as a government veterinary institute that bridges animal health, food safety, and public health under one roof — the institutional embodiment of One Health. Unlike university research groups, they carry regulatory authority and operate national reference laboratories, giving consortium partners access to validated diagnostic infrastructure and real surveillance data. Their recent move into coordination (MAD-CoV 2) and data-driven decision tools signals they are ready to take on more ambitious roles beyond their traditional supporting function.

Highlights from their portfolio

• One Health EJP
  By far their largest project (EUR 3.2M) — a European Joint Programme connecting national veterinary and food safety institutes across the EU, placing SVA at the heart of Europe's One Health network.
• MAD-CoV 2
  SVA's only coordinated project (EUR 1.3M), using advanced techniques like 3D organoids and AI for SARS-CoV-2 antiviral development — a significant step up from their usual participant role.
• DECIDE
  Their most recent project (2021-2026) represents SVA's strategic evolution, combining veterinary epidemiology with economics, social sciences, and digital decision support tools for disease prioritisation.