Kick-off for the DAM in Berlin

On 3 March, the DAM introduced itself to some 200 guests in the FUTURIUM – House of Futures and outlined its tasks and objectives, based on its mission statement: “Our goal is to promote the sustainable management of coasts, seas and oceans through research, data management and digitalisation, infrastructure and knowledge transfer.”

In his introduction, Michael Meister, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, emphasised the importance of the seas and oceans as a “climate kitchen” that has a direct impact on people’s lives: “That is why researchers are being called on more than ever to come up with courses of action and perspectives for the future – together with society. Together with policymakers.”

You can find the speech as video (in German) on YouTube   Watch the Video
and as speech manuscript (in German)   pdf

In his welcoming address, Björn Thümler, the Minister for Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony, who was also speaking as a representative of the North German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein, pointed out that “marine protection, coastal protection and climate protection form a powerful triad, which is particularly important for the North German states.”

You can find the speech as video (in German) on YouTube    Watch the Video
and as speech manuscript (in German)   PDF

The Deputy Chairman of the DAM, Michael Schulz, outlined the goals and objectives of the German Marine Research Alliance. He emphasized the importance of the stakeholder forum, which the DAM is setting up and which will be its “actual topic generator”. This will include policymakers as well as representatives of business and civil society.

You can find the speech as video (in German) on YouTube    Watch the Video
and as speech manuscript (in German)   PDF

Various stakeholders and two marine scientists then took part in a panel discussion entitled “A Sea of Sustainability – From Knowledge to Action”, which was moderated by Karsten Schwanke. Norbert Brackmann, the Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Industry, Kim Detloff, Head of Marine Protection at Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V., Nicole Dubilier, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Nele Matz-Lück, spokeswoman for the Future Ocean Network at Kiel University, and Ulrich Schnabel, science editor of DIE ZEIT, discussed transdisciplinary research and described their expectations towards the DAM.

The musicians Amoy Ribas (percussion), Tal Arditi (guitar) and Tino Derado (piano) took the guests of the inaugural event on a musical journey. First they went downriver (“descendo o rio”) to the sea, then to the “Krumme Lanke” – a lake that Berliners are very familiar with.

This was followed by a reception at which guests had a chance to exchange ideas and to network until late in the evening.

Regrettably, the International Partnership Forum (IPF), which was to have formed the first part of the afternoon’s programme for the kick-off event, had been cancelled at short notice, in response to the continuing spread of the coronavirus and the desire to minimise the risks associated with international travel. The IPF, at which the DAM wanted to present itself to international partner organizations in the field of marine research, is to be held at a later date.