08 June 2020
Bees and other insects are essential for the pollination of plants and crops. At the same time, the number of bees is drastically decreasing worldwide, which can lead to severe consequences. To contribute to research and conservation of biodiversity, HSB Living Lab and TietoEVRY started a project with connected beehives. The initiative is now expanding by creating a network with a total of four hives, to provide an even better understanding of bees’ health.
Currently, there are connected hives located outside HSB Living Lab in Gothenburg and outside TietoEVRY’s office in Kalmar. Now, two beehives are added to form a network. The new hives are located outside Castellum’s office in Växjö and Swedish Beekeeper association’s office in Skänninge. With the help of sensors, it is possible to measure temperature, weight, air pressure and humidity, and thus better understand and monitor how the bee community is functioning.
“We have digitalized the beehives by adding sensors and IoT technology that helps us collect data to understand better how the bees are doing. By connecting more beehives to our cloud platform, we can compare how different bee communities are doing in various locations in Sweden”, says Mikael Ekström, beekeeper and digitalization advisor at TietoEVRY.
When all hives are connected to TietoEVRY’s cloud platform, the plan is to collect comparable data to help researchers gain a better understanding of bees and their communities. The connected beehives will also make it easier for beekeepers to monitor their hives. With this initiative, HSB and TietoEVRY wants to spread knowledge about beekeeping and engage more people in the safeguarding of biodiversity.
“It’s great that we can connect more hives and get organizations involved in the project that we started together with TietoEVRY last year. We have noticed a great interest from the residents in HSB Living Lab who wants to get involved and learn more about beekeeping. The initiative has also attracted international attention, and we are pleased that so many are involved in this important matter”, says Emma Sarin, project manager for HSB Living Lab.
For several years, the number of bees and other pollinating insects has decreased. One explanation could be chemical pesticides used in agriculture; another cause is a changing landscape with fewer green areas.
“Bees care for a large part of the pollination of our plants and are extremely important for our ecosystem. This enables us to do practical research on beekeeping. For example, we hope to be able to identify and counteract diseases among bees, says Mikael Ekström.
For more information, please contact:
Mikael Ekström, beekeeper and digitalization advisor, TietoEVRY
mikael.ekstrom@tieto.com, 070-370 02 89
Per Nordin, Senior communications manager, TietoEVRY
per.nordin@tietoevry.com, 070 290 97 02
TietoEVRY creates digital advantage for businesses and society. We are a leading digital services and software company with local presence and global capabilities. Our Nordic values and heritage steer our success.
Headquartered in Finland, TietoEVRY employs around 24 000 experts globally. The company serves thousands of enterprise and public sector customers in more than 90 countries. TietoEVRY’s annual turnover is approximately EUR 3 billion and its shares are listed on the NASDAQ in Helsinki and Stockholm as well as on the Oslo Børs. www.tietoevry.com
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