3Bee`s goals

3Bee was created in 2017 by combining the experience of Niccolò Calandri, an electronics engineer, and Riccardo Balzaretti, a biologist and beekeeper with around 200 hives. 3Bee initially focussed on honey bees. Later, the focus was also on lesser-known solitary bees. The aim of 3Bee is to create a dense network of people, honey consumers, enthusiasts, but also beekeepers and "insiders" who can make a concrete commitment to the protection of bees and thus our planet. 3Bee is a "benefit company", i.e. a company that integrates the aim of having a positive impact on society and the biosphere into its corporate purpose. It has a team of 15 people working on various projects (including 2 professional beekeepers). Our ongoing commitment to the world of bees and beekeeping has shown us that the term "bee rescue" can be extremely misleading and complicated.

3Bee has developed and launched aremote monitoring system for beehives. This IoT device consists of biomimetic sensors that are installed inside the beehive. In this way, the most important biological parameters can be monitored: Weight, temperature, humidity and sound intensity. Analysing and controlling these parameters, which are sent to the cloud and can be accessed from a personal account, makes it possible to know the state of the hive and what is happening inside it. The Hive-Tech device becomes an indispensable tool for the correct and precise management of hives. It enables beekeepers to intervene in a targeted and precise manner when necessary. The monitoring system is currently used by more than 2000 beekeepers in 23 countries around the world.

Remote monitoring also enabled the development of the "3Bee Bee Sponsorship" project. This made it possible to connect the beekeeper and honey producer with the end consumer in a completely innovative way. When you adopt a 3Bee hive, you can choose one of the hives provided and have the opportunity to monitor it for a whole year, but not only. You will receive directly at home the honey selected by a specific beekeeper, allowing you to enjoy a high-quality, artisanal food that is a clear expression of the territory. Through our APP, the beekeeper is incentivised to carry out dissemination actions and ethical bee care activities and is provided with weekly/monthly content to keep their activity up to date.

However, the use of monitoring systems enables a more comprehensive approach, in which specialised research centres are also involved. Reliable information on the vital parameters of the hive will make it possible to expand and deepen all bee research projects, as is already the case in many areas of animal husbandry and agriculture. Not only can knowledge of the life of bees and the internal dynamics of the hive be deepened, but research into treatments and practices to improve beekeeping and bee health can also be deepened. The ability to analyse a considerable amount of data and link it to what is happening in the hive is crucial. The existing collaborations are extremely interesting in their objectives and 3Bee has also developed ad hoc solutions to fulfil specific research needs.

Another goal that 3Bee has set itself is to deepen the analysis of agrochemicals and their impact on bees. The desire to create an environmental map based on the data and specific analyses collected by the 3Bee systems has led to several collaborations that are currently active. The development of this map will certainly also have interesting implications for other pollinators, including solitary bees. We are currently investing in about 50 multiresidual analyses between September 2021 and October 2021.

3Bee has also developed a project for them to raise people's awareness of these bees, which are so little known compared to the more familiar honeybees. The establishment of Bee Hotel, i.e. shelters for solitary wild bees, the planting of bee-friendly plants and increased awareness of these insects are certainly important. We have currently installed around 2000 solitary wild bee houses. The Polly House created by 3Bee is dedicated to one pollinator in particular: the Osmia Bicornis.

In addition to other planned projects, 3Bee is planning to develop environmental remediation projects in collaboration with the beekeepers in its network in 2022. Specifically, this involves setting up a targeted planting service, particularly for scented essences and plants. The aim is to reclaim unused land by creating oases for honey bees and solitary wild bees. Where they can find nectar and pollen. Major brands have also been involved in the planting projects, and have lent their support to the cause.

This results in a very complex picture of diverse initiatives in favour of bees and the environment. Last but not least, 3Bee has also initiated a Call for Ideas, which focuses on sustainability in all areas. The "Call for Impactability" was conceived as a competition to reward the 3 ideas and projects that have the greatest impact on the environment and society and bring about change. 3Bee reached out to a very broad audience and evaluated numerous proposals at different levels of development to identify those that offer the most innovative solutions to problems that affect the whole community and that, if realised, can have a positive impact for all.