After one year in Việt Nam, Niklas Birkner, Head of Animal Health at Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam, shares his insights on the company’s strategic priorities, key growth drivers, and long-term commitment to advancing sustainable animal health through innovation and the One Health approach.

After one year in Việt Nam, what do you consider Boehringer Ingelheim’s most notable achievement in this market?

After one year at Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam, I believe our most notable achievement goes beyond maintaining our position as one of the market leaders. Most significantly, we have strengthened our role as a trusted partner in advancing animal health and contributing to the local One Health ecosystem.

By combining global innovation with deep local insights, we have delivered solutions that protect swine, companion animals, and poultry. This progress reflects our purpose of ‘Transforming Lives for Generations’ - creating sustainable impact by safeguarding animal health, empowering veterinarians and farmers, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation that benefits society.

Niklas Birkner, Head of Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam. — VNS Photo

How has your global and regional experience shaped your vision for Việt Nam?

My experience at Boehringer Ingelheim’s headquarters in Germany gave me a deep understanding of how global strategies are developed and how innovation drives sustainable growth. Working on corporate strategy, portfolio development, and global business innovation taught me the importance of balancing global expertise with local market realities. Later, leading commercial excellence across ASEAN, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand reinforced the need for agility and cultural adaptability across diverse markets.

For Việt Nam, this experience shapes my clear vision: to leverage global best practices while tailoring solutions to local needs. Our priority is to foster collaboration and a winning mindset that empowers our team to innovate and deliver impactful value to veterinarians, farmers, customers, partners, distributors, and all key stakeholders. This approach ensures that we not only sustain our position as one of the leading companies in the animal health sector but also create a lasting impact on society.

Swine, companion animals and poultry are key to Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health in Việt Nam. How do these species contribute to the company’s overall growth?

Each of the three species plays a distinct yet complementary role in driving our growth in Việt Nam.

In swine, this remains our primary growth engine, supported by science-driven biosecurity measures, disease-prevention solutions and beyond-the-bottle services. This year, we reinforced awareness of integrated approaches that help farmers improve herd health and operational efficiency. A key highlight is the Respiratory Defense Alliance, which enables co-administration of key vaccines: Ingelvac PRRS® MLV, Ingelvac CircoFLEX®, and Ingelvac MycoFLEX® - 3 Flex® in a single shot together with Ingelvac H. This simplifies processes, reduces labour time, and enhances respiratory protection. Combined with Enterisol® for gut health, these solutions help farmers cut down on antibiotic use and stabilise productivity.

In companion animals, preventive care is at the heart of our strategy. Our Pets business continues to lead the market, backed by a strong portfolio and value-added services. Our parasite control range, including the NexGard® family, Frontline® and Heartgard®, provides comprehensive, end-to-end protection. Vaccines also remain a strategic pillar. Following the success of our nationwide Vaccination Partnership Programme in 2025, we are preparing to introduce a next-generation vaccine solution in 2026, designed to protect against multiple canine diseases with enhanced safety and technical excellence.

In poultry, food security is a key consideration. In 2025, we introduced Vaxxitek® HVT+IBD+ILT, Việt Nam’s first vector vaccine protecting against three major diseases with a single hatchery shot. This innovation helps farmers optimise costs, reduce antibiotic use and strengthen farm biosecurity, while contributing to more stable and sustainable protein supply for the community.

Niklas Birkner and Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam’s Animal Health team. — VNS Photo

Technology and data are transforming the animal health industry. How will Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam stay ahead of this shift?

Technology and data are redefining animal health, and we are proud to be pioneers in this transformation. Our recently launched Animal Health Hub provides local veterinarians and farmers with e-learning tools, disease-prevention modules and best-practice insights, helping them make more informed and timely decisions.

By embracing smart farming approaches, we aim to build a connected ecosystem tailored to local needs, where technology supports healthier herds, more resilient farms and stronger communities.

Community engagement has also been a long-standing focus for Boehringer Ingelheim. Could you share more about the rabies prevention programme in Việt Nam?

Sustainable development and community engagement are vital to our mission. Through the STOP Rabies programme, over the past five years we have vaccinated more than 33,000 dogs and cats in Long An province and educated thousands of residents on rabies prevention and responsible pet ownership. These efforts support Việt Nam’s goal of eliminating human rabies deaths by 2030.

More recently, we have expanded our impact through education programmes in Tây Ninh, where more than 30,000 pupils have been educated on rabies prevention. Our long-term commitment is clear: we will continue annual vaccination campaigns, expand education initiatives and strengthen local partnerships, guided by the belief that when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too.

Looking ahead to 2026, what strategic priorities will be critical for Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam?

First, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Vietnamese Government, veterinarians, farmers, partners, and all stakeholders for their unwavering trust and strong collaboration throughout 2025.

As we look ahead to 2026, we will continue bringing global innovation and best practices – responsively tailored to local needs – to address challenges, empower veterinarians and farmers to create lasting impact, build healthier communities, and strengthen the One Health ecosystem. We remain committed to supporting national priorities on antimicrobial resistance, food safety, and sustainable farming, ensuring long-term value for the animal health sector and society.

Our priorities remain rooted in a simple yet enduring belief: when animals are healthy, humans are healthier too. This principle continues to guide our purpose of ‘Transforming Lives for Generations’ and our commitment to sustainable growth in Việt Nam. — VNS