University of Rostock Joachim-Jungius-Award 2026 for Dr. Serge Alindekon

Dr. Serge Alindekon has received the 2026 Joachim-Jungius-Award for one of the best doctoral dissertations completed at the University of Rostock.

His doctoral thesis, titled “TAG ‘N’ TRACK: Enhancing Poultry Research through RFID Technology: Implementation and Computer-Assisted Validation”, focused on improving the use, validation, and interpretation of RFID-based tracking systems in poultry research.

Across four peer-reviewed studies, the work examined how RFID technologies can be used to monitor the location, resource use, and behaviour of individual chickens. A central finding was that the recorded presence of an animal near a resource does not necessarily indicate that the resource was actually used. The thesis therefore provides important methodological guidance for the reliable design, validation, and reporting of automated behavioural monitoring studies.

The research also introduced a computer-assisted validation method based on 3D-ArUco markers, providing a faster and more objective alternative to conventional manual video annotation.

The Joachim-Jungius-Award recognises doctoral dissertations of exceptional scientific quality and also considers the international relevance, interdisciplinarity, societal importance, publication output, and broader impact of the research.

Dr. Alindekon is currently continuing his research at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, with a focus on animal behaviour, welfare, and the application of digital technologies in poultry research.