Smart livestock technology adoption in Spain

Livestock farmers in Spain are increasingly adopting ‘virtual fencing’ technology to manage challenges such as rural depopulation, wildfire prevention, and predator management. These systems use GPS technology and smart collars to allow farmers to direct animals via mobile applications without physical fences.

In Galicia, a pilot project uses cattle to facilitate natural brush clearing for forest fire prevention, while the Diputación de Guadalajara has introduced subsidies to help farmers acquire collars to protect livestock from wolf attacks.

The adoption of this technology has gained broader recognition through European Union initiatives. The European Commission has highlighted the Galician startup Innogando, which developed the ‘RUMI’ smart collar, as part of a campaign demonstrating the impact of regional investment. With over 25,000 active devices in Spain and Portugal, the sector is also seeing a shift toward sophisticated data management. Supported by Next Generation EU funds, these initiatives aim to help producers convert sensor and health data into actionable decisions within secure, interoperable data spaces.