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B-GOOD · Project

Smart Beekeeping Platform That Tracks Colony Health and Guides Better Management Decisions

foodTestedTRL 5
b-good-project.eu

Imagine a Fitbit for beehives — sensors and data tools that constantly monitor how healthy your bee colonies are and flag problems before you lose them. B-GOOD built a digital platform that pulls together weather, landscape, pesticide exposure, and hive data to give beekeepers a single "health score" for each colony. They also created quick-test strips (like a COVID rapid test, but for bee viruses and pesticides) so you can check threats on the spot. The whole system was tested across 13 European countries with real beekeepers feeding back what actually works.

By the numbers
17
consortium partners across Europe
13
countries covered in testing
55
total project deliverables completed
3
demo tools built (virus detection, pesticide detection, genotyping)
EUR 7,961,170
EU investment in R&D
3
SME partners in consortium
The business problem

What needed solving

Beekeepers across Europe are losing colonies at unsustainable rates, but they lack data-driven tools to understand why or what to do about it. Decisions are made on gut feeling rather than real-time health data, and there is no standardised way to assess colony health across different regions and climates. Meanwhile, the agriculture and food industry depends on healthy pollinator populations worth billions in crop value annually.

The solution

What was built

B-GOOD built and expanded the BEEP open-source digital beekeeping platform, created a working Health Status Index based on EFSA standards, and produced 3 demo diagnostic tools: two Lateral Flow Devices for rapid virus and pesticide detection at the hive, plus a TaqMan-based genotyping tool. A total of 55 deliverables were completed including an EU-wide bee health data platform.

Audience

Who needs this

Commercial beekeeping operations with 100+ hives needing to reduce colony lossesAgriTech companies building smart farming or precision livestock platformsAgrochemical and crop protection companies needing pollinator impact assessment toolsFood producers and retailers dependent on pollination for supply chain securityNational beekeeping associations seeking digital tools for their members
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Beekeeping & Pollination Services
SME
Target: Mid-to-large beekeeping operations managing hundreds or thousands of hives

If you are a commercial beekeeper dealing with unexplained colony losses and rising mortality rates — this project developed the BEEP open-source digital platform and a Health Status Index that aggregates data from hive sensors, weather, landscape, and management practices into a single dashboard. Tested across 13 countries with 17 consortium partners, it helps you spot problems early and reduce winter losses.

Agricultural Input & Crop Protection
enterprise
Target: Agrochemical companies and crop protection firms needing pollinator impact data

If you are an agrochemical company facing tightening EU regulations on pollinator protection — this project built Lateral Flow Device rapid tests for pesticide detection directly at the hive. With data from a platform covering all EU biogeographic regions, you can demonstrate pollinator safety of your products and comply with emerging regulatory requirements backed by real field data.

AgriTech & Precision Agriculture
SME
Target: AgriTech startups and IoT companies building smart farming solutions

If you are an AgriTech company looking to expand into precision livestock or pollinator monitoring — this project developed and expanded the open-source BEEP classification system for digital beekeeping, integrating hive sensors, environmental data, and management records. With 55 deliverables and viable business models identified for different European contexts, there is a ready technology base to build commercial products on.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this beekeeping monitoring system?

The BEEP platform at the core of B-GOOD is open-source, meaning the software itself is free to use and extend. Hardware costs depend on which sensors you deploy per hive. The project received EUR 7,961,170 in EU funding across 17 partners over 4+ years, so significant R&D has already been funded — commercial adopters benefit from that investment.

Can this scale to thousands of hives across multiple countries?

Yes — the system was designed for EU-wide deployment and tested across 13 countries covering all EU biogeographic regions. The data platform was built to handle coordinated, harmonised data flows from multiple apiaries, with step-by-step expansion built into the design. The 17-partner consortium validated it works across very different beekeeping conditions.

What is the IP situation — can I build a product on this?

The BEEP digital beekeeping application is explicitly open-source, so you can use and extend it commercially. The Lateral Flow Devices for virus and pesticide detection and the TaqMan genotyping tool may have separate IP arrangements through the consortium partners. Contact the coordinator at Universiteit Gent for licensing specifics.

Does this meet EU regulatory requirements for pollinator monitoring?

The Health Status Index was inspired by EFSA's Healthy-B toolbox, the official EU reference for bee health assessment. The project was built in close cooperation with the EU Bee Partnership. This alignment with EU institutional requirements makes it well-positioned for regulatory compliance.

How long before we could deploy this in our operations?

The project closed in November 2023 with 55 completed deliverables including working demo tools. The BEEP platform is already operational. Rapid test devices (Lateral Flow Devices) are functional prototypes. Integration into existing beekeeping operations could begin relatively quickly, especially for the digital platform components.

Can this integrate with our existing farm management or ERP systems?

BEEP was designed as an open-source IT application specifically to streamline data flows from various sources — hive sensors, weather services, landscape data, and agricultural practice records. Its open architecture makes integration with existing farm management systems technically feasible, though custom development work would be needed.

Consortium

Who built it

The B-GOOD consortium of 17 partners across 13 countries is heavily research-oriented, with 8 universities and 4 research organizations making up 71% of the partnership. The 3 industry partners (18% ratio) and 3 SMEs provide commercial grounding but this is primarily a science-driven project. Coordination by Universiteit Gent (Belgium) — a major research university — reinforces the academic leadership. For a business looking to adopt these tools, the main commercial conversation partners would be the 3 SME participants who likely hold the closest-to-market technology. The broad geographic spread across 13 countries is a strength for anyone wanting EU-wide applicability.

How to reach the team

Universiteit Gent, Belgium — reach out to their bee research group or the B-GOOD project office via the project website

Order a report on this consortiumSee UNIVERSITEIT GENT profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the B-GOOD team or help identifying which tools fit your operation? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner.

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