About us

Research on honey bees and pollination was first established at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in 1943, when SLU was still known as the Agricultural College (Lantbrukshögskolan). Since then, research on honey bees at SLU has developed into a strong and active research group, specializing in the pathology and disease ecology of honeybees and wild bees.

SLU is an applied oriented top-class university producing research and education for a sustainable future and is deliberate at communicating science with end-users, making it an optimal host for this Centre.

The challenge 

The Western honeybee, Apis mellifera, is an intrinsic part of nature yet also intimately linked with human well-being. As a key pollinator species, they are vital in maintaining ecosystem health and functioning as well as global food security, since they are the dominate species used for pollination-dependent crop production. Disease threatening the survival of honeybees is therefore a major concern for human society.

Honey bees require care, as well as equipment and resources to care for them. By maintaining state-of-the-art beekeeping infrastructure, the HBRC facilitates excellent science to deepen our fundamental knowledge on honey bee health to mitigate risk of disease. Read more about honey bee disease and our research. 

Our mission 

• The Centre’s overall mission is to be an international leading research environment for honeybee research in Sweden and provide as a bride between science and practice. Some of the more specific objectives include:
• Facilitating excellent scientific research to deepen our fundamental knowledge on honeybee health.
• Stimulate new collaborations with national and international researchers.
• Maintaining strong collaborations with the Swedish beekeeping community to help identify need-driven researchable challenges and work together towards a common goal.
• Developing new, cross-disciplinary/multidisciplinary research objectives in the field.
• Improving the international competitive of Swedish honey bee research making it more attractive for large EU-wide impactful projects concerning honeybee health.
• Provide education on honey bee health at the university level to various disciplines.
• Be active in outreach, including research dissemination, public demonstrations and educational science events.
• Organize and participating in training seminars and workshops for beekeeping organizations and governmental agencies.

These objectives are designed to ultimately provide support for the beekeeping sector in Sweden and globally.

Our vision

Our vision is to maintain a sustaining long-lasting beekeeping infrastructure that can facilitate excellent science and education, making Swedish honey bee research internationally competitive and attractive.

We hope that this Centre will aid in developing cross-disciplinary, and multidisciplinary research objects and collaborations. Our vision is to increase the visibility of honey bees and their importance to various disciplines at SLU, such as conservation ecology, crop production, landscape architecture, and veterinary medicine.

A further vision is that the Centre will provide a strong bridge between research and practice through various research and education activities that ultimately support the sustainability of the beekeeping sector in Sweden and globally. We are committed to maintaining high standards of service to the Swedish beekeeping community by actively engaging in seminars, workshops, and collaborative projects of mutual interests.

Operation

We maintain beekeeping infrastructure at the heart of SLUs Ultuna campus and keep approximately 40 honeybee colonies to facilitate the various activities carried out at the centre, including fundamental and applied research, education, extension training, and public demonstration. 

The Centre is financed by the Swedish Board of Agriculture through an EU-grant ‘support for the beekeeping sector’. The Centre’s research contributes fundamental knowledge on honey bee health which will ultimately improve conditions for beekeeping and strengthen the industry. The Centre is also co-financed by the Department of Ecology.

Centre management

• Barbara Locke Grandér, Director of SLU Honey Bee Research Centre
• Emilia Semberg, SLU Honey Bee Research Centre project coordinator
• Anna Lundmark, Communication officer
• Astrid Taylor, head of the Department of Ecology

External advisory board 

The Beekeeping collaboration council (Samverkansrådet) was established by SLU Råd nu with the goal to strengthen the cooperation between certain key actors and create a dialogue for issues or initiatives of strategic importance for Swedish beekeeping. 

This council also functions as an advisory board for the SLU Honeybee Research Centre, by providing current knowledge and critical thinking to increase the confidence of the decision-making at the Centre.

Members of this group include:

• Magnus Ljung and Lotta Fabricius Kristiansen from SLU RådNu
• Björn Gustavsson, Eva Dahlberg, and Johanna Nilsson from The Swedish Board of Agriculture
• Karin Jarl from County Administrative Board
• Björn Dahlbäck and Anette Irebro from Sveriges Biodlares Riksförbund
• Yngve Kihlberg from Biodlingsforetagarna
• Anna Nilsson from the National Reference Laboratory for bee health at SLU
• Barbara Locke Grandér and Emilia Semberg from SLU Honey Bee Research Centre.