To develop BEEBOX, an artificial bumblebee nest box designed by Donkersley and Roberts, from its existing format (TRL2) to a more robust demonstrator unit (TRL4) for deployment in commercial food production greenhouses and on solar farms in the UK. One commercial partner, AgriSound, hosts expertise in digital sensor technology for use in honeybee hives. Translation of their established technology into BEEBOX will allow development of a commercial demonstrator unit that can be used to engage with industry around commercial pollination, addressing current nest box limitations and therefore progressing towards future commercialisation and associated impact to food security. The other commercial partner, LowCarbon, coordinates, maintains and hosts solar farms across the UK and have recently begun projects expanding the role of their solar farms for hosting pollinators. They will work with our team to design a nestbox that can provide nesting habitat for wild pollinators in their sites.
The three key objectives are:
1. Develop the design of BEEBOX for commercial scale batch fabrication
2. Develop and integrate AgriSound monitoring technology into BEEBOX
3. Develop and deploy demonstrator units at LowCarbon solar sites