Three finalists have been shortlisted for this year's Royal Dairy Innovation Award and will be vying for the prestigious title when it is judged at this year's Dairy-Tech on February 1, at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

The finalists have been selected from more than 25 entries made by an online submission to the RABDF.

The award sponsored by the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) is presented to a company exhibiting at this year's Dairy-Tech with a practical product or service, which is likely to be the most significant innovation for the future of dairying.

This year's finalists include:

• SmaXtec – TruDrinking – a first-of-its-kind bolus that measures the water consumption of cows and can immediately detect irregularities in water provision or cow health. The bolus also records inner body temperature, rumination and activity, giving it the ability to highlight any possible health issues in the cows long before visible signs may appear.

• UFAC – Envirolac – A proven palm-free fat supplement for high-yielding dairy cows. The product has been proven to increase milk yields and quality while offering a lower carbon footprint than palm-oil-based fat supplements. It is designed to increase dietary energy density while optimising rumen fermentation and prime liver function to increase milk yield and constituents and improve cow health and fertility.

• HerdVision – Auto Mobility and BCS – provides real-time data on the health and nutrition of a herd. Using a small digital camera positioned above a race, 3D images are captured and fed back live by integrating with an intelligent online monitoring system. Data is delivered directly to the users' phone or tablet – supporting daily management decisions.

The three finalists will be asked to present their product at Dairy-Tech to a panel of independent judges at 9:45am on the Innovation Hub. This year's judges are dairy farmer and competition chair Tim Downes, CIEL’s head of innovation Dr Mark Young and Michael Halliwell, commercial director of last year’s winning product, Cattle Eye.

The winner will be announced at 15:55pm on the Innovation Hub and will receive a signed framed certificate and trophy from the Princess Royal later this year.

This year’s Dairy-Tech will showcase more than 85 new products and services, with 300 exhibitors taking to the floor at Stoneleigh Park on February 1. For more information and to book your tickets, visit www.dairy-tech.uk