The initiative will deploy a range of innovative solutions, including new living labs and AI-powered wild bee monitoring cameras.
Irish charity Ballyhoura Development CLG is partnering with 13 other organisations from six European countries to restore wild pollinator populations across north-west Europe.
The Polliconnect initiative has a total budget of €7.1m, of which €4.1m is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg North-West Europe programme, a European territorial cooperation programme supporting sustainable development.
Over the next 54 months, Polliconnect will deploy a range of solutions aimed at increasing pollinator biodiversity indicators by 20pc, introduce new tools such as AI-powered wild bee monitoring cameras and engage with and train gardeners, farmers and others.
The initiative will also establish and test eight living labs in participating countries, which include Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, and provide evidence-based data and guidelines to inform public policy and help replicate the results in other European countries.
Polliconnect is officially launching in France at an event held over 18 and 19 June. The initiative is slated to conclude by mid-2029.
“Ballyhoura Development is excited to lead Ireland’s contribution to the Polliconnect project,” said Padraig Casey, the CEO of Ballyhoura Development CLG.
“The collaboration reflects our deep commitment to biodiversity, sustainable habitat management, and empowering communities to take meaningful action for nature.
“Through innovation, education and partnership, we look forward to helping shape a future where pollinators thrive and ecosystems are reconnected for generations to come,” Casey added.
Ballyhoura Development is a community-led local development company, which works with communities and businesses in East Limerick and North Cork.
According to the organisation, it currently delivers more than 30 programmes focusing on sustainable, social, environmental and economic development.
Some of the other organisations participating in Polliconnect include Belgium’s Flemish Land Agency, Brussels Environment, Ghent University and Provincie West-Vlaanderen, The German Ministry for Environment and France’s Department of Pas-de-Calais and Efrei University.
Last year, after a period of setbacks and fierce opposition, the EU finally approved the Nature Restoration Law. The heavily debated regulation went through several rounds of negotiations since it was first proposed in 2022.
The approved law is a diluted version of what was initially proposed. However, among its various set targets, the new law will mandate EU countries to reverse the decline of pollinating insects.
While the law was being contested, a 2023 study showcased that despite heavy regulation, Europe’s pesticide usage was negatively affecting non-target organisms such as bees.
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
