Several studies have suggested that precision livestock farming (PLF) is a useful tool foranimal welfare management and assessment. Location, posture and movement of an individual are key elements in identifying the animal and recording its behaviour. Currently, multiple technologies are available for automated monitoring of the location of individual animals, ranging from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to ultra-wideband (UWB), RFID, wireless sensor networks (WSN) and even computer vision. These techniques and developments all yield potential to manage and assess animal welfare, but also have their constraints, such as range and accuracy. Combining sensors such as accelerometers with any location determining technique into a sensor fusion systemcan give more detailed information on the individual cow, achieving an even more reliable and accurate indication of animal welfare. We conclude that location systems are a promising approach to determining animal welfare, especially when applied in conjunction with additional sensors, but additional research focused on the use of technology in animal welfare monitoring is needed.
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This paper considers the partnership model, which is in the author’s view the best answer in the social policy creation in contemporary conditions. The author refers to changes and reforms in the development of welfare state in the world from 1980s onwards. He describes various approaches and models, paying particular attention to the welfare society model, and partnership as its central concept. Furthermore, he analyses the functioning of the partnership model based on the experience of the European Union, Great Britain and Hungary
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This article addresses the resource dependencies of voluntary sports club in two Rhineland welfare states with differences in their organizational arrangements of sports (e.g. the centralization of the Sport for All policy). On the basis of the VOCASPORT typology of sports policy systems and the resource dependence theory the composition of the revenues of non-profit sports clubs in Flanders (Belgium) and Germany is analysed and related to organizational contingency factors as well as similarities and differences in the sports policy systems. Data are used from the Flemish and the German panel survey of non-profit sports clubs. The results show that Flemish and German sports clubs differ regarding size, year of foundation and offered sports, but are very similar with regard to their financial structure. Both Flemish and German sports clubs strongly depend on third sector income, regardless of organizational factors. No remarkable differences were found with regard to the dependency on state income. The results suggest that sports clubs in the selected Rhineland welfare states, regardless of the organizational arrangement of the sports system they operate in, depend on third sector resources and have considerable decision-making autonomy.
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The Dutch hospitality industry, reflecting the wider Dutch society, is increasingly facing social sustainability challenges for a greying population, such as increasing burnout, lifelong learning, and inclusion for those distanced from the job market. Yet, while the past decades have seen notable progress regarding environmental sustainability and good governance, more attention should be paid to social sustainability. This concern is reflected by the top-sector healthcare struggles caused by mounting social welfare pressure, leading to calls by the Dutch government for organizational improvement in social earning capacity. Furthermore, the upcoming EU legislation on CSRD requires greater transparency regarding financial and non-financial reporting this year. Yet, while the existing sustainability accreditation frameworks offer guidance on environmental sustainability and good governance reporting, there must be more guidance on auditing social sustainability. The hospitality industry, as a prominent employer in the Netherlands, thus has a societal and legislative urgency to transition its social earning capacity. Dormben Hotel The Hague OpCo BV (Dormben) has thus sought support in transitioning its social sustainability standards to meet this call. Hotelschool, the Hague leads the consortium, including Green Key Nederland and Dormben, by employing participatory design to present a social sustainability accreditation framework. Initially, Dr. David Brannon and Dr. Melinda Ratkai from Hotelschool The Hague will draft a social sustainability accreditation framework informed by EFRAG. Subsequently, Erik van Wijk, from Green Key Nederland, the hospitality benchmark for sustainability accreditation, and Sander de Jong, from Dormben, will pilot the framework through four participatory workshops involving hospitality operators. Later, during a cross-industry conference, Dr. David Brannon and Dr. Melinda Ratkai will disseminate a social sustainability toolkit across their academic and industry networks. Finally, conference and workshop participants will be invited to form a social sustainability learning community, discussing their social earning capacity based on the revised sustainability accreditation.
The overarching aim of the project is to contribute to the development of a sustainable, inclusive and just EU leisure, tourism and hospitality ecosystems, and will be achieved through three interrelated objectives:Create a body of knowledge and theoretical foundations, related to the application of land, capital and financial resources, to develop resilient and future-proof tourism destinations and tourism and travel businesses;Develop conceptual models that contribute towards collective models of resilience in tourism destinations and tourism and travel businesses and are based on equitable use of labour, land and natural resources and financial capital;Propose, through approved EU funding, interventions and applications towards new models of tourism destination management and corporate governance, that use sustainable parameters of success (regeneration of biodiversity and nature, improved human welfare of residents at destinations, social and environmental returns).The Project will lead to a series of research proposals that allows the consortium partners to address urgent societal challenges in Europe. During the project timeline, partners will disseminate findings and search for engagement by public and private actors. Ongoing collaboration and knowledge exchange with key industry actors will improve the resilience capacity of destinations through education, skill development, and co-creation of knowledge. Building resilience through tourism is not just an opportunity but a necessity in the face of global environmental and social challenges. The project will establish theoretical foundations for transitioning towards more resilient and environmentally and socially just ecosystems in the leisure, tourism, and hospitality sectors, aiming to shift the industry’s priorities from short-term gains to long-term sustainability. The project supports international collaboration by facilitating university staff mobility and involving students with diverse cultural, industry, and academic backgrounds and experiences. The successful application and completion of the project will strengthen the consortium's capacities and facilitate the ongoing international dialogue through the Resilient Tourism Ecosystems Lab (RTEL), consequently leading to future collaborative EU grant applications.
Meaningful applications in education, healthcare and media. The first spearhead concerns the use of virtual humans (AI-driven, digital people) in various sectors of society such as education, healthcare and media. The shortages of labour affect all sectors and the use of AI and virtual humans can contribute to solutions. Think of a virtual 'buddy' for lonely elderly people, a virtual teacher for education and training of digital coaches and assistants. But also of serious games that measure or influence behaviour and digital twins (digital copies of objects, systems or plans) for better decision-making. The second pillar of the project focuses on the further growth of the region as an innovation district. To this end, collaborations between knowledge institutions, organisations and companies established in the Spoorzone are stimulated. The result is that (young) talent is committed to the region; also one of the objectives of the Regio Deal Midden-Brabant.Societal issueCombating a digital divide so that the (digital) society remains accessible and fair for everyone - even if you are not very technically minded - is also a spearhead. Benefit for societyBy developing the innovation district for society, we create a magnet function for:Socially involved experts (knowledge institutions), companies, social organizations, citizens and investors. Students/young talent with innovative power who are challenged to new solutions and entrepreneurship. Companies that want to bring new solutions to the market, that invest in R&D and want to establish themselves close to talent;o Attractive jobs in the companies mentioned so that young talent commits to the region and can “work for the best brands” there.In addition to structural reinforcement by the innovation district, the technology of virtual humans is being researched in the practice of health, care, welfare, education and media. The concrete projects in this proposal are already achieving initial results in this area; applications that meet social needs or that provide social solutions.
