Nordic Solutions through Sustainable Resource Management and Animal Production

Programme

The conference will focus on the following thematic areas:

• Circular economy and sustainability
• Sustainable and bioresource management
• Sustainable food and feed resources
• One health
• Sustainable ecosystems
• Animal welfare
• Sustainable bioproduction

The programme is continuously updated, and we reserve the right to change.

• Day 1: 22nd April 2026, Wednesday Copy linkCopied

  09:00 - 10:30 Conference registration and opening session (Room: B123)

  09:00 - 09:50	Reception Registration and coffee
  09:50 - 10:00	The 4th International Conference in light of global challenges Geir Næss (Chief of the conference organizing committee)
  10:00 - 10:10	Formal conference opening Dean/Rector

  10.10 - 11.30 Thematic Presentation: Circular economy and sustainability (Room: B123)

  10:10 - 10:50	Circular economy from the perspective of acceleration and resonance Keynote speaker: Ove Daniel Jakobsen, Nord University
  10:50 - 11:30	Epizootological situation of the animal diseases on the territory of the Slovak Republic, control and preventive measures, eradication of diseases in 2025 Keynote speaker: Martin Chudý, State Veterinary and Food Administration of the Slovak Republic.

  11:30 - 12:00 InnoTalk: Mette Sørensen and Martin Tomko (Origo)

  12:00 - 13:00 LUNCH

  13:00 - 15:00 Thematic Presentation: Sustainable food and feed resources (Room: B123)

  13:00 - 13:40	Potential of alternative feed sources in pet nutrition Keynote speaker: Anne Marie Bakke, Nord University
  13:40 - 14:20	Development of feed formula based on humic substances and probiotics for use in salamonid aquaculture Keynote speaker: Peter Popelka, UVMP in Košice, Slovakia

  14.20 - 14.40 Coffee and Networking

  14:40 - 15:00	Blue mussels - a promising organism in a circular green-blue feed-food system Hilde Schøyen, Fiskå Mølle AS
  15:00 - 15:20	Non-antibiotic feed additives in pig diets: Effects on growth performance and nutrient excretion Lukáš Bujňák UVMP in Košice, Slovakia

  15:20 - 16:00 Presentations (5 min each): Why should you see my poster? (Room: B123)

  16:00 - 18:00 Ceer Project work-shop (Room: Origo)

  18:30 Dinner at the Canteen at InnoCamp, Steinkjer

• Day 2: 23nd April 2026, ThursdayCopy linkCopied

  08:30 - 09:00 Coffee and networking

  09:00 - 10:40 Thematic Presentation: One Health (Room: Origo)

  09:00 - 09:40

  Individual human behavior change in the livestock industries to improve welfare and productivity Keynote speaker: Grahame Coleman, University of Melbourne, Australia

  Short break and FarmMerge Parallel session in Rom B123 (10:00 - 14:00)

  09:50 - 10:20	Wings, vectors, and pathogens: Birds, bats, and one health implications of vector-borne pathogens Keynote speaker: Ľuboš Korytár, UVMP in Košice, Slovakia
  10:20 - 10:40	Potential strategies to fight AMR in fish Hetron Mweemba Munang'Andu, Nord University

  10:40 - 11:00 Coffee break and networking

  11:00 - 12:00 Thematic Presentation: Sustainable Ecosystems (Room: Origo)

  11:00 - 11:40	An ecologists perspective on sustainable ecosystems: Do we have the right data and do we have the right indicators? Keynote speaker: Erlend Birkeland Nilsen, Nord University and NINA
  11:40 - 12:00	Tree diversity and restoration success, an experimental approach Emiru Birhane Hizikias, Nord University

  12:00 - 13:00 LUNCH

  13:00 - 15:00 Thematic Presentation: Animal welfare (Room: Origo)

  13:00 - 13:40	Sustainable beekeeping: new approaches for enhancing honeybee immunity Keynote speaker: Dagmar Mudroňová, UVMP in Košice, Slovakia
  13:40 - 14:00	The importance of reliability in animal welfare assessments Emma Matilda Ternman, Nord University
  14:00 - 14:20	Lameness – a welfare issue in dairy cows Pavol Mudroň, UVMP in Košice, Slovakia
  14:20 - 15:00	TBA Panel discussion

  15:00 - 16:30 Coffee, Networking and Posters

  17:15 Bus leaves at Innocamp Steinkjer for Stiklestad, Verdal

  18:00 Dinner at Stiklestad, Verdal

• Day 3: 24nd April 2026, FridayCopy linkCopied

  09:00 - 09:30 Coffee and Networking

  10:00 - 12:00 Thematic Presentation: Circular Bioproduction (Room: B123)

  09:30 - 10:10	From organic waste to proteins and biofertilizers Keynote speaker: Gunnhild Jaastad, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
  10:10 - 10:30	Sustainable bioproduction using aquatic side streams Ravindra Kumar, Nord University

  10:30 - 10:50 Coffee and Networking

  10:50 - 11:10	Feed self-sufficiency and scarce domestic resources: Upcoming conflicts of interest Anne Sigrid Haugset, SINTEF, Norway
  11:10 - 11:40	TBA TBA
  11:40 - 11:50	Conclusion of the scientific program Prabhat Khanal and Geir Næss, Nord University
  11:50 - 12:00	Conclusion of the conference Mette Sørensen and Jana 'Koščová

  12:00 - 13:00 LUNCH

  13:00 Bus leaves at InnoCamp Steinkjer for Mære Landbruksskole

  13:00 - 15:30 Visit at Mære Landbruksskole

Conference fee

Conference fees (all in NOK)*

Early Bird – until March 20th: 2,900 / 1,900 for PhD students

March 21st – April 17th: 3,500 / 2,500 for PhD students

Bachelor and Master students: 600

*The conference fee includes coffee and refreshments, lunch on all three days, and dinner on Wednesday.

Optional event

On Thursday evening, you are warmly invited to join a memorable Viking guild at Stiklestad. In an authentic Viking longhouse, guests will enjoy a buffet inspired by historic Nordic cuisine, accompanied by storytelling in a truly atmospheric setting.

Price: 1495 NOK

Deadlines

Registration deadline (Early bird): 20 March 2026

Final registration deadline: 17 April 2026

Abstract submission deadline: 20 March 2026

Organisers

Nord University, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture (Norway)

Nord University’s Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture (FBA) is a leading research and educational institution committed to sustainable development and global environmental solutions.

FBA is at the forefront of research in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable animal production, aquaculture innovation, and natural resource management.

The faculty’s multidisciplinary approach, cutting-edge laboratories, and active international collaborations make it a key player in addressing global change challenges, particularly in Arctic and Nordic contexts.

FBA’s commitment to circular bioeconomy and climate-resilient food systems aligns directly with the core themes of this conference.

University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice (Slovakia)

The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Slovakia (UVMP) is a distinguished academic and research institution specialising in veterinary sciences, animal health, food safety, and sustainable agricultural practices.

With a strong focus on One Health principles, UVMP in Košice, Slovakia, plays a pivotal role in fostering integrated approaches to ecosystem health, livestock sustainability, and rural development. Its research activities support sustainable solutions across the bioeconomy value chain, making UVMP in Košice, Slovakia, an ideal co-organiser for a conference dedicated to sustainable resource management and circular bioeconomy in a changing global environment.

Conference organizing committee

Geir Næss, Nord University

Ioannis Vatsos, Nord University

Kjersti Selstad Utaaker, Nord University/Norwegian Veterinary Institute

Prabhat Khanal, Nord University

Kirsten Synnøve Gustad Fossan, Nord University

Linda Kristin Evenset, Nord University

Jana Koščová, UVMP in Košice

Martin Tomko,  UVMP in Košice

Conference scientific committee

Ioannis Vatsos, Nord University

Prabhat Khanal, Nord University

Geir Næss, Nord University

Jana Koščová, UVMP in Košice

Dagmar Mudroňová, UVMP in Košice