A strong voice for German marine research: DAM and KDM join forces to move forward into the future

German marine research is joining forces to prepare for the future: The German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) and the German Marine Research Consortium (KDM) have merged to form a single association. The merger process was officially completed on September 21, 2026. The two organizations are pooling their expertise and networks under the umbrella of the DAM, which will represent the interests of German coastal, marine, and polar research with a single voice both nationally and internationally. At the same time, Dr. Nicole Biebow assumed the position of full-time Executive Director effective October 1. Both developments mark the beginning of a new phase of strategic networking and internationalization.

The merger was celebrated on November 9 with a ceremony in Berlin under the theme “The Sea! For the Future.” “Together, we can achieve more,” said Dr. Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister for Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), in her welcoming remarks. “We need more excellent research to master the pressing challenges of our time: climate change, loss of biodiversity, and maritime security. Knowledge is the guiding principle for our political action. The merger of KDM and DAM therefore benefits Germany as a whole as a center of research.” Andreas Bovenschulte, Mayor of the City of Bremen and President of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, added: “The oceans are crucial to our future. DAM demonstrates what the federal and state governments can achieve when they join forces. In this way, scientific expertise becomes useful for policymakers and society and contributes to responsible maritime policy.” The merger of KDM and DAM is therefore an important milestone.

Two subsequent roundtable discussions confirmed the importance of scientific findings for future-oriented policymaking: Representatives from national and international scientific and political circles discussed the contribution that a more closely networked German marine research community can make toward addressing global challenges and shaping a sustainable maritime policy. Key insight: With the new DAM, German marine research can present a united front as a reliable partner—particularly at the European level. Research is also important in this context for bringing objectivity to increasingly polarized political debates and for countering opinions with scientific findings.

Joining Forces for the Future of the Oceans

The oceans face enormous challenges: climate change, species loss, and increasing conflicts over resource use require scientifically sound solutions and collective action. DAM brings together the expertise of its member institutions to provide guidance and practical knowledge for the sustainable management of coasts, seas, and oceans—as a foundation for well-informed political and societal decisions.

The merger of DAM and KDM is more than just an organizational consolidation: Through the merger of the two associations, German marine research now presents a distinct, unified front both nationally and internationally. This strengthens its strategic capacity for action and creates a platform for effectively contributing scientific findings to political processes as a collective. This includes helping to shape research policy agendas, representing common positions in international bodies and initiatives, and engaging in dialogue with partners from science, politics, and society.

The expertise of the two associations complements each other: The KDM’s more than 20 years of experience in European research collaboration adds an international dimension to the DAM’s impact-oriented work, which is focused on societal challenges. This will enable the full spectrum of German marine research to be addressed and covered even more comprehensively in the European and international context in the future.

Internationalization and Networking: Taking Responsibility Together

Since October, Dr. Nicole Biebow, an experienced science manager, has been at the helm of the DAM. She previously oversaw international relations at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), and has extensive experience in European and international research collaboration. “The challenges facing our oceans are global and require an internationally networked scientific community that pools its expertise,” explains Biebow. “I look forward to working with member institutions and partners to further develop the DAM as a strong platform for German marine research. Our goal is to take responsibility and translate scientific findings into actionable knowledge—and thereby actively help shape the future of the oceans.”

A key focus of the new DAM will be to strengthen the international visibility of German marine research: through strategic partnerships with European and non-European marine research networks, even stronger coordination of German research institutions’ contributions and participation in international programs, and involvement in international bodies and initiatives. At the same time, the DAM aims to bring the interests and expertise of German marine research more strongly into European decision-making processes.

At the national level, the DAM intends to further strengthen its role as a scientific point of contact for policymakers and industry and to intensify dialogue with the federal and state governments. Other strategic priorities include the further development of the successful research missions initiative, enhanced coordination of large-scale seagoing equipment, and the continued expansion of a shared data management system. In 2027, in consultation with its members, the federal government, and the states, the DAM plans to lay important organizational and strategic foundations for these goals: these include the integration and closer networking of the KDM advisory bodies, the adoption of an internationalization strategy, and the establishment of initial strategic international partnerships. In this way, the DAM is laying the groundwork to harness the scientific expertise of German marine research even more effectively in the future for the protection and sustainable use of the oceans.

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