On Friday, June 13, the final event of the CEPO (Center of Excellence for Poultry) project took place in the ballroom of the Vetmeduni Vienna. After 3.5 years of successful project work, largely funded by the Austria-Hungary cross-border cooperation program 2007-2013, the event was another highlight of the entire project. At the beginning, the Austrian project participants were still somewhat under the impression of the lost soccer match the evening before against the guests from Hungary. However, the numerous guests, especially from Hungary, and the conference program quickly made such thoughts fade into the background.

The importance of knowledge transfer and information exchange was emphasized by the project partners, Prof. Dr. Karoly Dublecz from the Georgikon Faculty of the Pannonian University in Keszthely and Prof. Dr. Michael Hess from the Vetmeduni Vienna in their welcoming speech. The scientific program included blocks of topics from the field of poultry health and the digestive physiology of poultry. Guest speakers from abroad, Prof. Dr. Christa Ewers from the Justus-Liebig University Giessen and Prof. Dr. Birger Svihus from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, introduced the respective topics with overview presentations. The value of the project became particularly clear in those presentations in which joint work was presented.

After the scientific presentations, Ao. Prof. Dr. Otto Doblhoff-Dier, Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations, emphasized the value of the project for poultry medicine and the Vetmeduni itself. He thanked all those involved and urged them not to lose sight of a possible follow-up project or further opportunities for cooperation. Prof. Dr. Michael Hess joined in the thanks with a small gift for the main actors who were entrusted with the administration of the project and the guest speakers of the day. A concluding summary of CEPO activities, from student and expert exchanges, the implementation of joint research projects and their numerous publications, to joint scientific and sporting events, brought this important and successful initiative to a close for all involved.

On November 27, the Regional Cooperation Management Hungary-Austria (RECOM HU-AT) hosted the final event of the 2007-2014 project period in Sopron. As a special highlight, three particularly innovative and cross-border projects were honored in different categories.

Advances in nutrition and health in poultry production are the goal of the new Center of Excellence for Poultry Innovation. Funded by the Interrreg V-A Austria-Hungary program, the Centre of Excellence has now been officially launched on the Vetmeduni Vienna campus in the presence of a Hungarian embassy councillor. The collaboration between the Clinical Department of Poultry Medicine at Vetmeduni Vienna and the Georgikon Faculty of the Pannonian University will combine veterinary and agricultural knowledge and make it available for poultry production and students in the future. Pathogens that can also be transmitted to humans and the avoidance of genetically modified feed are just two of the focal points of the cooperation. In the long term, the aim is to support and efficiently promote the economic stability of poultry production businesses.