European beekeepers’ interest in digital monitoring technology adoption for improved beehive management

• One fifth of a sample of European beekeepers (n = 844) use digital hive monitoring. • Adoption of digital hive monitoring is higher among professional beekeepers. • Observed adoption rates approach the social tipping point for accelerated adoption. • Beekeepers’ personal attitude emerges as the main driver for technology adoption. • Social norms and perceived behavioural control contribute moderately positively. This study investigates the adoption of Digital Beehive Monitoring Technology (DBMT) based on a survey with 844 beekeepers across 18 European countries, shedding light on their characteristics, current usage patterns, expected benefits, and the determinants influencing technology adoption. Notably, 79.1 % of beekeepers had yet to embrace any form of digital monitoring, while 20.9 % engaged in limited monitoring, primarily focused on hive weight. The perceived benefits of DBMT were explored, with hive management facilitation, colony health enhancement, winter loss reduction, and time-saving emerging as primary expectations. A quarter of beekeepers expressed uncertainty regarding these anticipated benefits, underscoring the need for increased awareness and education about the advantages of DBMT. Logistic regression is used to uncover key determinants influencing DBMT adoption, emphasizing the role of professionalism, regional disparities, and active participation in beekeepers’ associations. The application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) through Structural Equation Modelling reinforced the central role of beekeepers’ personal attitudes in shaping their intention to adopt DBMT, with social norms and perceived behavioural control providing complementary albeit minor influences. The findings imply that hobbyist beekeepers may be more involved in beekeeping as a nature-centric activity, whereas professional beekeepers demonstrate a greater inclination toward digitalisation. With the so-called social tipping point of 25 % for technology adoption being almost reached, this study provides a timely empirical perspective on the European beekeeping sector’s evolution towards digitalisation, so-called Apiculture 4.0.