Picture of a smartphone with a recording of the panel discussion on stage at the opening event of the DAM

NEWS | 04.03.2020

Kick-off for the DAM in Berlin

The alliance introduces itself to guests from the domains of politics, business, science and civil society

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.”

Launch event of the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) at the Futurium in Berlin — Kick-off for the German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) in Berlin

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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

Michael Meister at the DAM kick-off event — “The oceans, as we know them, are massively threatened,” stated Michael Meister, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, in his speech. The goal for the DAM: “Not only do we want to make excellent research possible; we also want this knowledge to be applied.” | Picture: DAM/Dirk Enters

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

Björn Thümler, Minister for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony — Björn Thümler, the Minister of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, pleaded: “So I can only appeal to the researchers involved – not only as a minister, but also as someone who lives on the coast: Use the opportunities offered by this alliance to make new discoveries and help us to find the right answers to climate change.” | Picture: DAM/Dirk Enters

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

In his speech, Michael Schulz, Deputy Chairman of the DAM Executive Board, emphasized that "the planned cooperation in the DAM means that we in science will have to move partly out of our comfort zone and - in dialogue with stakeholders - move forward together. The scientific community is aware of this responsibility and I am confident that we will deliver". — Michael Schulz, the DAM's Deputy Chairman; Kick-off Ceremony of the DAM, 3. March 2020, Berlin | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

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.

Podium discussion at the DAM kick-off event. — Discussion panel: Moderator Karsten Schwanke discussing with Norbert Brackmann, the Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Economy, Nicole Dubilier, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Kim Detloff, Head of Marine Protection at Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V., Nele Matz-Lück, spokeswoman of the Future Ocean Network at Kiel University, and Ulrich Schnabel, science editor at DIE ZEIT (from left to right). | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Karsten Schwanke at the German Marine Research Alliance DAM — Karsten Schwanke, meteorologist and well-known ARD weather presenter, asked participants of the panel discussion on "A Sea of Sustainability - from Knowledge to Action" about their expectations of the DAM. | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Norbert Brackmann, Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Industry, at the launch event of the DAM — Norbert Brackmann, the Federal Government’s coordinator for the maritime industry, considered it “imperative that we start as soon as possible to scientifically assess and weigh up the opportunities and risks – for example of offshore wind energy. That is what we can and must do as politicians: weigh up, present alternatives and then come to conclusive decisions.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Nicole Dubilier, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, at the opening event of the DAM — “What ought to worry us,” said Nicole Dubilier, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology during the panel discussion, “is that sea levels are rising because of carbon dioxide levels, that our oceans are warming, and that we are losing coral reefs and seagrasses. These are the issues that we have to take very seriously.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Kim Detloff at the opening event of the DAM — Kim Detloff, the Head of Marine Protection at NABU e.V., hopes that the DAM will provide “many opportunities for dialogue, participation, and pursuing common issues and research content. I also hope that the DAM will provide some coordination, that it will be used as a means of conducting a discourse within the scientific community, especially when it comes to marine geoengineering.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Nele Matz-Lück, spokeswoman of the Future Ocean Network at CAU Kiel at the opening event of DAM — Nele Matz-Lück, spokeswoman of the Future Ocean Network at Kiel University, noted that “there is also a need for research on how to involve stakeholders and what transdisciplinary research is, and this must be part of the research.” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Ulrich Schnabel at the opening event of the DAM — Ulrich Schnabel, a science editor at DIE ZEIT, hopes that “the creation of the DAM will produce a new dimension that extends beyond the individual research institutes, with a new dynamic. That the DAM will, for example, think about how we can contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development in ways that are relevant to the public?” | ©Dirk Enters | DAM

Moderator Karsten Schwanke in conversation with Michael Bruno Klein, Chairman of DAM — In an interview with Karsten Schwanke, Michael Bruno Klein, Chairman of the DAM Executive Board, pointed out that the DAM is "an experiment". Building on the excellence of 19 institutes, he said, "something really new is emerging. I think it's great that people are getting involved, not only in science, but also in politics, the media and civil society.” | ©Dirk Enters | 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.

At the DAM opening event the musicians Amoy Ribas, Tal Arditi and Tino Derado play "Descendo o Rio" — The musicians Amoy Ribas, Tal Arditi and Tino Derado took the guests on a musical journey downriver: “descendo o rio”

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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.