Forschungsinstitut für Nutztierbiologie (FBN)

What Forschungsinstitut für Nutztierbiologie (FBN) does

Forschungsinstitut für Nutztierbiologie (FBN) is a publicly funded research institute headquartered in Dummerstorf, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, operating as a foundation under public law of the state and as a member of the Leibniz Association. Its mission is fundamental and applied research in farm animal biology across four focus topics: individualising farm animal husbandry, farming in sustainable resource cycles, coping with critical life phases of livestock, and promoting diversity in animal farming. The institute employs 251–500 staff including more than 60 scientists organised across four competence areas (Nutrition & Metabolism; Reproduction & Development; Genetics & Genomics; Behaviour & Husbandry).

FBN's core technical assets are unique experimental platforms rather than commercial products: the Dummerstorf long-term selection mouse lines (up to 180 generations) for livestock-relevant traits; respiration chambers for cattle, pig, sheep, goat, mouse and rat; a 100 m² behavioural arena for cattle; a bioacoustics chamber for pigs; an EU-approved and QS-certified experimental abattoir; aquaculture RAS systems; an SPF laboratory mouse facility (up to 6,000 mice); and service platforms for Sanger/NGS sequencing, metabolomics, lipidomics, cytometry, smart livestock farming, stable-isotope tracer analytics, and a Data Service Centre supporting FAIR open data. It also publishes the open-access journal Archives Animal Breeding (founded 1957) and runs the Stadt-Land-Stall public outreach programme.

FBN's revenue model is exclusively non-commercial: it receives institutional core funding from federal and state governments via the Leibniz Association, supplemented by third-party project grants from BMBF, BMEL, and EU frameworks (Horizon Europe, plus named projects such as EuroFAANG, MonoGutHealth, AgroServ, PIGWEB). Customer counterparts are universities, research networks, agricultural associations (e.g., Hybridschweinezuchtverband Nord/Ost for pig breeding), and policy bodies that draw on FBN's expertise through collaborative agreements rather than paid product sales. Its go-to-market is therefore scientific publication, network participation, and joint research infrastructure access, not commercial selling.

Name

Forschungsinstitut für Nutztierbiologie (FBN)

Legal name

Forschungsinstitut für Nutztierbiologie (FBN)

Website

https://fbn-dummerstorf.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

FBN is a publicly funded Leibniz-Association research institute in Dummerstorf, Germany, conducting interdisciplinary farm animal biology research (genetics, nutrition, reproduction, behaviour) using unique long-term selection mouse lines and specialised multi-species experimental facilities, serving universities, EU research networks, and German agricultural policy bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural and Animal Science Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Animal Production (11521), Hog and Pig Farming (112210), Hog and Pig Farming (11221), Support Activities for Animal Production (115210)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

High-Health/Biosecure Hog Production (SPF/Pedigree Nucleus) (AFAEAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nucleus Herd/Flock Breeding & Multiplier Stock Supply (AFAEAJAF), Livestock Contract Growing & Farm Labor Services (AFAEALAE), Livestock & Production Animal Therapeutics (Rx) (HLAMAEAB), Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Livestock Management (EDAOAOAD)

Keywords

• Farm animal biology
• Animal genetics research
• Livestock nutrition science
• Animal behavior research
• Reproductive biology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Dummerstorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: FBN is a foundation under public law of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It operates as a publicly funded research institute within the Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Gemeinschaft), receiving core funding from federal and state governments. Revenue comes from institutional grants, project-based third-party funding from federal ministries (BMBF, BMEL), EU frameworks (Horizon Europe), and other public research sponsors. No commercial product revenue model applies.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

FBN is a publicly funded Leibniz research institute that conducts fundamental and applied interdisciplinary research on farm animal biology across four focus areas: individualizing farm animal husbandry, farming in sustainable resource cycles, coping with critical life phases, and promoting diversity in animal farming. Its offerings include research services (genetics, genomics, nutrition, metabolism, reproduction, behaviour), experimental animal facilities for cattle, pigs, goats, poultry, fish, and mice, specialized scientific service groups (sequencing, metabolomics, cytometry, abattoir and meat research, smart livestock farming), a Graduate School program, the open-access journal "Archives Animal Breeding," and the Stadt-Land-Stall educational outreach program.

Product overview

FBN is a research institute (Leibniz Institute) conducting fundamental and applied research on farm animal biology. The organization operates as a unified research institution with four strategic focus topics, supported by approximately 20 working groups and centralized service groups. Core offerings include research services across genetics, nutrition, reproduction, behavior, and physiology; experimental animal facilities for multiple species; scientific service laboratories; and educational programs including graduate school and the Stadt-Land-Stall outreach initiative. FBN also publishes the Archives Animal Breeding journal and operates comprehensive open science and data management services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Archives Animal Breeding: International scientific journal publishing original research papers, short communications, brief reports and reviews on farm animal sciences. Founded in 1957, published open access since 2013.

Products and services

• Core Research Services on Farm Animal Biology Interdisciplinary research services covering genetics, genomics, nutrition, metabolism, reproduction, behaviour, and husbandry in farm animals, delivered to academic, government, and industry partners through collaborative research projects.
• Experimental Animal Facilities

Quantifiable outcome

• Long-term selection mouse lines: up to 180 generations of selection for fertility, growth, and endurance traits — unique resource for genetic and physiological research
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FH Südwestfalen (South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBN and FH Südwestfalen signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize cooperation in research and teaching. The partnership aims to strengthen joint research projects and academic exchange between the two institutions.
• University of RostockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong collaborative relationship through joint professorships (Prof. Dr. Tom Goldammer, Prof. Dr. Birger Puppe, Prof. Dr. Klaus Wimmers, Prof. Dr. Markus Schmid, apl. Prof. Dr. Cornelia C. Metges, apl. Prof. Dr. Ulrike Gimsa). FBN scientists hold professorships and teach at the university. Doctoral programs are jointly supervised. Active in the Graduiertenakademie (ORDS - Open Reproducible Data Science and Statistics).
• Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-WittenbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBN scientist apl. Prof. Dr. Steffen Maak holds a joint appointment at MLU Halle-Wittenberg. Collaborative research in muscle biology, meat quality, and animal genetics spans both institutions.
• Hybridschweinezuchtverband Nord/Ost e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBN's purebred Deutsche Landrasse pig population is registered as a nucleus herd in the breeding association's herd book. This connects FBN's experimental breeding program to the commercial pig breeding sector.
• DAFA (Deutsche Agrarforschungsallianz)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network for agricultural research in Germany; FBN is a founder, coordinator, or active partner in this network aimed at bundling strengths in agricultural research.
• NFDI (Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman National Research Data Infrastructure; FBN participates in national data management initiatives and standards development.
• One-Health-Region VorpommernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional One Health network connecting human, animal, and environmental health research across the Vorpommern region.
• ORDS-MV (Open Reproducible Data Science and Statistics Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network for open and reproducible science; FBN's ORS (Open and Reproducible Science) working group actively participates in ORDS-MV activities.
• EuroFAANGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean FAANG (Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes) consortium; FBN contributes to functional genome annotation of farm animals in collaboration with European partners.
• MonoGutHealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded research initiative focused on gut health in monogastric animals; FBN participates as a research partner.
• Animal Task Force (ATF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network of research institutions and industry partners working on sustainable animal production.
• AgroServminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project providing research services to the agricultural sector; FBN contributes specialized expertise in farm animal biology.
• PIGWEBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean knowledge platform and network for pig research and production; FBN participates as a research partner contributing to pig genetics, nutrition, and husbandry research.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Dutch research university and institute specializing in life sciences and agricultural research. Comparable as a leading European farm-animal research organization with experimental animal facilities, multi-species expertise, and extensive industry/policy partnerships.
• Roslin Institute (University of Edinburgh): UK animal sciences research institute known for livestock genetics, genomics, and the Dolly-the-sheep cloning breakthrough. Directly comparable to FBN's genetics, reproduction, and farm-animal biology focus, though with broader transgenic and One-Health scope.
• INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement): France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment, the largest agricultural research organization in Europe. Directly comparable as a publicly funded farm-animal biology research body with multi-species experimental facilities and a strong policy-advisory role.
• Agroscope: Switzerland's federal research institute for agriculture, food, and environmental research. Comparable as a publicly funded, multi-site European institute conducting farm-animal research on cattle, pigs, and small ruminants with strong policy advisory role.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Sweden's primary agricultural and life sciences university, hosting significant farm-animal research including behavior, welfare, genetics, and production. Comparable Nordic/European publicly funded peer with multi-species experimental infrastructure.
• Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI): Germany's federal research institute for animal health, also a Leibniz-style independent federal research body. Highly comparable as a publicly funded German animal-health/farm-animal research institute with experimental facilities, though FLI's mandate is broader infectious-disease focus vs. FBN's production-biology emphasis.

Direct peers

• Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien (Vetmeduni Vienna): Austrian university specializing in veterinary and animal sciences with farm-animal research. Comparable as a Central European publicly funded institution with experimental animal facilities, breeding/genetics expertise, and integrated animal welfare research.
• Pirbright Institute: UK research institute focused on viral diseases of livestock and zoonoses. Comparable as a publicly funded farm-animal research institute with high-containment animal facilities and a strong policy advisory role, though with a narrower infectious-disease focus than FBN's broader biology mandate.
• Aarhus University - Department of Animal Science: Danish university department conducting integrated farm-animal research across nutrition, welfare, genetics, and health with experimental animal facilities. Closely aligned with FBN's interdisciplinary competence areas and systems-level animal biology approach.

Regional players

• Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW): Berlin-based Leibniz Institute focused on wildlife biology, evolution, and conservation. Comparable as a Leibniz-Gemeinschaft member with shared funding model, experimental animal facilities, and PhD programs, though focused on wildlife rather than livestock species.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fbndummerstorf
• LinkedInde.linkedin.com/company/forschungsinstitut-nutztierbiologie-fbn
• Instagraminstagram.com/forschungsinstitut_fbn/?hl=de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forschungsinstitut für Nutztierbiologie (FBN)