BSH

What BSH does

BSH (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie) is the German federal maritime and hydrographic agency, a Bundesoberbehörde operating under the Federal Ministry of Transport (Bundesministerium für Verkehr) with headquarters in Hamburg and a secondary office in Rostock. It combines maritime administration, hydrographic science, and marine research under a single institutional roof, serving as Germany's maritime research authority, traffic safety and construction authority, shipping administration, surveying and approval authority, offshore energy authority, marine environment and nature conservation authority, and geoinformation office. Its remit covers the German Exclusive Economic Zone and the North and Baltic Seas.

Its core product portfolio spans nautical publications (the weekly Nachrichten für Seefahrer/Notices to Mariners, nautical charts for the North and Baltic Seas, and the annually updated Leuchtfeuerverzeichnis/Lighthouse Directory at €67), the GeoSeaPortal geodata portal, water level and bathing condition forecasting services, the MARNET marine monitoring network (radioactivity, waves, underwater sound), and the Ship Emission Monitoring Network combining measurement stations, AIS data, drones, and the research vessel ATAIR. The technical backbone is an operational numerical modeling system run multiple times daily, producing predictions of water levels, currents, temperature, salinity, sea ice, and biogeochemical parameters, combined with a Multi Model Ensemble for forecast uncertainty assessment. BSH also produces the Flächenentwicklungsplan (Area Development Plan) governing offshore wind site development in German waters.

BSH does not operate a commercial revenue model; it is funded primarily through the German federal budget, with marginal revenue from sales of nautical publications, charts, and specialized standards via its website, two physical offices, and authorized sales partners. Its customers are government maritime agencies (Havariekommando, Bundesmarine, DGzRS), commercial shipping companies requiring flag registration and emissions compliance, offshore wind developers requiring site characterization and regulatory approvals (e.g., the ~146 km² N-9.5 site with ~1 GW planned capacity in partnership with Fraunhofer IWES and Fugro), and the broader public accessing navigation and bathing information.

Name

BSH

Legal name

Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie

Website

https://bsh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

BSH is the German federal maritime and hydrographic agency, providing nautical charts, marine monitoring, hydrographic surveys, and offshore wind site planning for the North and Baltic Seas to shipping companies, government agencies, offshore wind developers, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Administration and Hydrographic Services

NAICS

Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Port and Harbor Operations (488310)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Vessel Vetting & Due Diligence Services (SIRE/CDI, Terminal Vetting) (TLAHANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radiation Measurement, Dosimetry & Monitoring Services (Personal/environmental dosimetry, calibration labs) (EUAKAIAH), CBRN Detection, Protection & Decontamination Systems (IMABAOAO)

Keywords

• Maritime administration
• Hydrographic services
• Nautical charts
• Offshore wind planning
• Ship emission monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Funding: BSH operates as a federal agency funded by the German federal budget, providing maritime administration, hydrographic, and scientific services
2. Publications and Charts Sales: Revenue from sale of nautical publications, sea charts, lighthouse directories, and other maritime documentation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BSH is the German federal maritime and hydrographic agency that provides hydrographic surveying, nautical charts and publications, water level and sea state forecasts, marine environmental monitoring, ship emission compliance monitoring, and offshore wind site planning and approval services. As the central maritime authority under the Federal Ministry of Transport, it combines regulatory administration with marine scientific research to support safe shipping, environmental protection, and offshore energy development in the North and Baltic Seas.

Product overview

BSH (Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie) is a German federal maritime agency that provides a portfolio of products and services for shipping, marine environment monitoring, and offshore energy development. The offering includes nautical publications such as the weekly Nachrichten für Seefahrer (Notices to Mariners), nautical charts for the Baltic Sea and North Sea, and lighthouse directories. The agency operates forecasting services including water level predictions and the Baden und Meer bathing conditions service. BSH maintains monitoring systems including the MARNET network and the Schiffsabgasmessnetz ship emission monitoring network. Additional products include the GeoSeaPortal geodata portal, the Standard Konstruktion offshore construction standards, and Flächenentwicklungsplan area development plans. The operationelle Modellierung system provides numerical predictions for water levels, currents, temperature, salinity, sea ice, and biogeochemical parameters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nachrichten für Seefahrer (Notices to Mariners) Weekly notices to mariners required to keep nautical charts and sea books current, published exclusively in digital form since 2023. For professional and recreational mariners.
• Seekarten (Nautical Charts) Official nautical charts for the Baltic Sea and North Sea in international and regional DIN A0 formats, available in paper and electronic versions. For commercial shipping and recreational mariners.
• Leuchtfeuerverzeichnis (Lighthouse Directory) Annual directory containing all data about lighthouses in the southwestern Baltic Sea and southeastern North Sea, published in ring-bound format. For mariners requiring official reference data.
• GeoSeaPortal Geodata portal providing central access to BSH's geoinformation and georeferenced measurement data for both internal and external users. For researchers, planners, and government agencies.
• Wasserstandsvorhersagen (Water Level Forecasts) Tide predictions and current water level forecasts for the North Sea and Baltic Sea. For shipping operators, government agencies, and coastal planners.
• Baden und Meer (Bathing and Sea) Public information service providing wind conditions, water temperatures, and sunrise/sunset times for North Sea and Baltic Sea coastal areas. For the public and recreational visitors.
• Messnetz MARNET (MARNET Monitoring Network) Marine monitoring network measuring radioactivity, waves, and underwater sound in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. For research institutions, government agencies, and environmental monitoring.
• Schiffsabgasmessnetz (Ship Emission Monitoring Network) Network for remote monitoring of ship emissions using measurement stations, AIS data, drones, and the research vessel ATAIR to ensure compliance with MARPOL emission limits. For regulatory enforcement and environmental protection.
• Standard Konstruktion (Construction Standard for Offshore Structures) Technical standard establishing minimum requirements for the constructive execution of offshore structures in the German exclusive economic zone. For offshore wind developers, construction firms, and approval authorities.
• Flächenentwicklungsplan (Area Development Plan) Offshore wind farm development plans for the German North Sea and Baltic Sea, including current updates and amendments. For offshore wind developers, energy planners, and federal authorities.
• Operationelle Modellierung (Operational Numerical Modelling) Numerical model system for marine, dispersion, water quality predictions, and climate projections in the North and Baltic Sea, run multiple times daily. For government agencies, shipping operators, and researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 99% compliance rate with sulfur emission limits among monitored ships in German waters
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fraunhofer IWEScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Fugro and Fraunhofer IWES collaborated with BSH to complete geophysical site characterization for the N-9.5 offshore wind area in the German North Sea, covering approximately 146 square kilometers with sub-bottom profiler and seismic data collection.
• Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS)coreTechnology or IntegrationBSH serves as national fachkoordinator (specialist coordinator) for the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service, contributing to European marine observation networks and accessing shared data products.
• European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationBSH utilizes EMSA's drone services since 2022 to measure ship emissions on the open sea, enhancing offshore monitoring capabilities.
• BONN AgreementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSH participates in the Bonn Agreement for the Protection of the Marine Environment, collaborating on maritime environmental protection initiatives.
• Lidl/Tailwind Shipping LinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTailwind Shipping Lines (Lidl's shipping company) registered vessels under German flag, representing the first major company to embrace BSH's flag reform efforts.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket): Swedish government agency responsible for maritime safety, nautical charting, and pilotage in Swedish waters — comparable regional peer operating in adjacent Baltic Sea waters under similar mandates.
• Danish Geodata Agency (SDFI): Denmark's national authority for hydrographic surveying and nautical chart production in Danish and Greenlandic waters — comparable Baltic Sea regional peer producing official nautical charts and bathymetric data.

Emerging players

• DNV (Det Norske Veritas): Norwegian classification society and maritime certification body providing ship classification, emissions verification, and offshore standards — operates in adjacent marine certification markets with some overlap with BSH's equipment certification role.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Norwegian maritime technology supplier providing navigation, hydroacoustic, and subsea monitoring systems — supplies technology that complements BSH's marine monitoring infrastructure rather than directly competing.

Others

• HELCOM (Helsinki Commission): Intergovernmental body coordinating marine environmental protection in the Baltic Sea — BSH contributes to HELCOM's marine surveying work, positioning it as a multilateral counterpart in regional marine governance.

Broad incumbents

• Fugro: Dutch-listed global leader in offshore geophysical site surveys and seabed data — partnered with BSH and Fraunhofer IWES on N-9.5 site characterization; operates commercially in adjacent marine survey markets BSH regulates.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): US federal agency combining marine forecasting, hydrography, climate monitoring, and ocean science — broader mandate than BSH but functionally comparable as a national maritime/climate authority with regulatory and scientific arms.

Direct peers

• SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine): France's national hydrographic and oceanographic service under the French Navy — directly comparable to BSH as a European government hydrographic agency producing nautical charts, ocean forecasts, and supporting maritime safety.
• UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO): UK government agency producing nautical charts, publications, and tidal data for Royal Navy and global commercial shipping — the closest functional analogue to BSH as a national hydrographic authority with both regulatory and commercial product arms.
• EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency): EU agency for maritime safety, including ship emission monitoring via drones — BSH already partners with EMSA for drone-based emission measurement on the open sea, making EMSA a direct operational peer in maritime compliance monitoring.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/maritime.Behoerde
• Instagraminstagram.com/bsh.de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BSH