Promoting capacity building in Serbia through the transfer of Technical knowledge and environmental protection measures in Beekeeping sector
ProTechbee was born from the idea of connecting two countries (Italy and Serbia) where the beekeeping sector represents a deeply rooted heritage as well as an important part of local, regional, and national economies. To address beekeeping issues and contribute to the preservation of bees, between 2019 and 2021, the Italian partner (CREA-IT) developed a digital system capable of monitoring important parameters within beehives, including weight variation, temperature variation, and humidity. The system was designed to upload information to a cloud, making it available at any time and remotely. Monitoring such parameters can provide important information on the health status of bees and the production of honey/pollen, allowing timely and correct planning of interventions. This digital hive differs from commercial solutions due to its economical and customizable design, representing an easy-to-use tool for studying or simply controlling bee activity, productivity, and health status. The receiving partner is the Serbian University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, which will be trained and equipped by CREA with this digital technology through remote and field activities. The two scientific institutions will also collaborate to build EU-SERBIA alignments in agricultural legislation. It is expected that the transfer of knowledge between CREA and the Serbian partner will lay the foundation for increasing the interest of beekeepers, researchers, and policymakers in Serbia towards the creation of beekeeping enterprises and environmental programs.