A survey among students of veterinary medicine and agricultural sciences in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland about perception of digital technologies on dairy farms and students' preparedness for the digital transformation in dairy farming

Digital technologies and the internet determine our professional and private everyday life. This also applies to the dairy industry and veterinary practice. The objective of the presented study was to learn more about the perception of digital technologies by students of veterinary medicine (VetMed) and agricultural sciences (AgriSci) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This next generation of farmers and veterinarians will have to deal with digital technologies in their later professional lives and they will have to face societal demands such as animal welfare and the reduced use of pharmaceuticals. We created an online survey comprising 6 sections: (1) demographic data, (2) questions about the participants' relationship to today's dairy industry, (3) participants' perception of digital technologies in everyday life and in the dairy industry, (4) associations based on the effects of images, (5) visions and expectations of the dairy industry in the future. Finally, the participants were asked whether they felt well prepared for the digital transformation in the dairy industry by their colleges. The survey link was sent to the students through their administration or student body of veterinary medicine and agricultural sciences colleges and faculties in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. In total, 454 questionnaires were eligible for the final analysis, 318 from veterinary medicine students, and 136 from agricultural science students. In general students of both disciplines have a positive attitude toward the use of digital technologies as all participants of the study showed a high acceptance of cows being equipped with sensors. But the survey shows also areas in which the students are skeptical about the technological progress and especially VetMed students did not agree with some procedures in dairy cattle husbandry such as early cow-calf separation and an automatic feeding of calves. They also associated digital technologies with a reduction or even a loss of human-animal relationship. One reason for this can be seen in the preparation for the digital transformation in the dairy industry. Almost 50% of VetMed students were not "adequately prepared" for this transformation during their studies; among AgriSci students, it was one-third of the respondents. The current survey provides a fundament for discussing various topics against the background of digitalization in the dairy industry. Representative examples are veterinary education and the shortage of livestock veterinarians.