# Animal Health Research Centre
**Wikidata**: [Q27586891](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27586891)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/animal-health-research-centre

## Summary
The Animal Health Research Centre (Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal, IRTA-CReSA) is a dedicated research institute located in Bellaterra, Spain, and operated by the Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA). Founded in 1999, its core mission is conducting systematic investigation in animal health as a standalone research entity, distinct from teaching-focused or policy-oriented organizations.

## Key Facts
- Official name: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (IRTA-CReSA)
- Short name: IRTA-CReSA
- Parent organization: Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA)
- Location: Bellaterra, Spain
- Coordinates: latitude 41.504943359811605, longitude 2.0973712360667855
- Year of inception: 1999
- Classified as a research institute, a type of organization whose primary purpose is research
- ROR ID: 01sn0bt42
- GRID ID: grid.424716.2
- VIAF ID: 305877369
- Library of Congress Authority ID: n78053119
- University of Barcelona Authority ID: 981058517566706706
- Official website: https://www.irta.cat
- Wikimedia Commons category: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal
- Wikipedia language editions: Catalan (ca) and Wikimedia Commons (commons)
- Geonames feature code: S.ITTR
- Schema.org type: ResearchOrganization

## FAQs
**Where is the Animal Health Research Centre physically located?**
It is situated in Bellaterra, Spain, with precise geographic coordinates of latitude 41.504943359811605 and longitude 2.0973712360667855.

**When was the Animal Health Research Centre established and under which larger body does it operate?**
It was founded in 1999 and functions as a research institute under the parent organization, the Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA).

**How is the Animal Health Research Centre formally identified in global knowledge systems?**
It is assigned unique identifiers across multiple systems, including ROR ID 01sn0bt42, GRID ID grid.424716.2, VIAF ID 305877369, and Library of Congress Authority ID n78053119.

**What is the primary operational focus of the Animal Health Research Centre?**
As a research institute, its sole purpose is conducting systematic investigation, specifically within the domain of animal health, without the teaching obligations of a university or the policy focus of a think tank.

**In which digital and linguistic contexts is the Animal Health Research Centre documented?**
It has a presence in the Catalan Wikipedia and a dedicated category on Wikimedia Commons. Its official web presence is through the IRTA website at https://www.irta.cat.

## Why It Matters
The Animal Health Research Centre represents a critical component of specialized scientific infrastructure, dedicated exclusively to generating new knowledge in animal health. By existing as a standalone research institute under the IRTA umbrella, it allows scientists to pursue focused, long-term investigation without the competing demands of undergraduate teaching or commercial product development. This model is essential for addressing complex, persistent challenges in veterinary science, zoonotic diseases, and agricultural biosecurity, which require sustained, fundamental inquiry. Its work contributes directly to food safety, animal welfare, and the prevention of disease outbreaks that can impact both agricultural economies and public health, aligning with the global role of research institutes as engines of discovery for societal challenges.

## Notable For
- Being a dedicated research institute, a distinct organizational form separate from universities, companies, think tanks, or scientific societies.
- Operating as a specialized subunit within the larger Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA), focusing specifically on animal health.
- Having formal recognition and unique persistent identifiers (ROR, GRID, VIAF, Library of Congress) across international library and research databases.
- Maintaining a documented presence in the Catalan linguistic and cultural sphere via its Catalan Wikipedia entry and Commons category.
- Being geographically situated in Bellaterra, Spain, and identified by precise coordinates in global geospatial databases.
- Its inception in 1999 places it within the wave of late-20th-century institutional specialization in agricultural and veterinary research.

## Body

### Classification and Conceptual Identity
The Animal Health Research Centre is formally classified as a **research institute**. This is a specific class of organization whose primary, defining purpose is the conduct of research. This classification differentiates it fundamentally from hybrid institutions like universities (which combine teaching and research) or corporations (which pursue research for commercial ends). In library and knowledge organization systems, it is mapped to schema.org/ResearchOrganization and carries the Geonames feature code S.ITTR for geographic identification. Its status as a research institute means it is structured to facilitate systematic investigation without the distraction of degree-granting or policy advocacy missions.

### Organizational Structure and Affiliation
The centre is not an independent legal entity but operates as a constituent research institute within the **Institute for Research and Technology in Food and Agriculture (IRTA)**. This parent organization provides its administrative and strategic framework. The centre's specific identity is therefore a compound one: it is the *Animal Health* research unit of IRTA. Its short name, **IRTA-CReSA**, explicitly encodes this relationship, combining the parent acronym (IRTA) with its specific domain (CReSA for *Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal*).

### Geographic and Institutional Location
The centre is physically located in **Bellaterra, Spain**. Its precise geographic coordinates are latitude **41.504943359811605** and longitude **2.0973712360667855**. This location situates it within the broader research ecosystem of Catalonia. Its institutional address and operations are integrated with the IRTA network, which is a public research body focused on food and agriculture technology.

### Digital Presence and Documentation
The centre's primary public-facing web presence is through the **IRTA official website (https://www.irta.cat)**, where its programs and research are likely detailed as a program area. In the structured digital knowledge ecosystem, it is documented in **Wikimedia Commons** under the category **"Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal"**, which hosts related media. In the multilingual Wikipedia project, it has dedicated articles in **Catalan (ca)** and implicitly through the Commons category, indicating its recognized institutional identity within the Catalan-speaking academic and public sphere.

### Persistent Identifiers and Authority Control
To ensure unambiguous identification in global scholarly and library systems, the centre is assigned a suite of persistent identifiers:
*   **ROR ID: 01sn0bt42** – A unique identifier for research organizations in the Research Organization Registry.
*   **GRID ID: grid.424716.2** – An identifier from the Global Research Identifier Database.
*   **VIAF ID: 305877369** – A virtual international authority file number linking its records in national libraries.
*   **Library of Congress Authority ID: n78053119** – A control number from the U.S. Library of Congress.
*   **University of Barcelona Authority ID: 981058517566706706** – An identifier within the University of Barcelona's local authority system, suggesting a local cataloging relationship.

These identifiers confirm its status as a formally recognized research entity and facilitate data linking across academic publications, grants, and institutional reports.

### Historical Context
The centre's **inception year is 1999**. This date marks its establishment as a defined research unit within IRTA, reflecting a period of increased specialization and institutional consolidation in European agricultural and veterinary research during the late 1990s. Its creation was likely a strategic response to emerging animal health challenges requiring dedicated, long-term scientific focus.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. ROR release v1.64