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Alliance for marine research

Mar 29, 2017
The five heads of government (from left): Er­win Sel­le­ring , Ste­phan Weil, Tors­ten Al­big, Cars­ten Sie­ling, and Olaf Scholz. Photo: Frank Pe­ter
The five heads of government (from left): Er­win Sel­le­ring , Ste­phan Weil, Tors­ten Al­big, Cars­ten Sie­ling, and Olaf Scholz. Photo: Frank Pe­ter

The five North German states resolve to continue secure funding of marine research institutes in the future. This is the conclusion reached at a meeting of the prime ministers from Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, held aboard the Research Ship Alkor. The result of the “German Marine Research Alliance” will be to further enhance Germany’s leading position in coastal, polar and marine research. The efforts of all North German university and non-university research institutes will be consolidated under this umbrella initiative.

“Northern Germany is a region of science and research. Here we also work together, especially in coastal, polar and marine research,” says Bremen’s mayor Carsten Sieling. Because the entire country profits from this, support is also needed from the federal government. As chairperson of the North-German Conference, Schleswig-Holstein’s prime minister Torsten Albig expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, “There is international competition with respect to scientific excellence, and national competition for funding. In this regard a clear affirmation of marine and maritime research is essential, acting particularly as a counterbalance to southern Germany,” he said. The research institutes in the north are not be rivals, but should work together as equal partners while remaining legally and organizationally independent.