Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung (DAM) / German Marine Research Alliance

What Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung (DAM) / German Marine Research Alliance does

Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung (DAM) is a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) headquartered in Berlin that coordinates the activities of 25 leading German marine research institutions. Founded in 2021 and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) together with the five northern German states (Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein), DAM does not conduct research itself but rather orchestrates three inter- and transdisciplinary research missions aggregating roughly 500 researchers across member institutions. The missions are CDRmare (marine carbon sinks and ocean-based CO2 removal, €26M Phase I 2021-2024 + ~€20M Phase II 2024-2027), sustainMare (protection and sustainable use of marine areas, €25M Phase I + ~€19M Phase II), and mareXtreme (marine extreme events and natural hazards, €20M over 2024-2026). All three missions are formally registered as UN Ocean Decade projects under the GEOS, SMARTNET, and CoastPredict programmes respectively.

The alliance operates a small coordinating office of 12 staff in Berlin alongside a Brussels international office, and delivers its outputs through structured knowledge-transfer mechanisms. Its core products are the digital transfer portals Ocean Online (an AI-semantic-search-powered web information portal built with DFKI) and Interactive World Ocean (a touchscreen-based educational ocean map built with DLR), plus the Future Box Oceans educational kit developed with Futurium. DAM does not sell commercial products or services; all outputs — research findings, knowledge portals, and educational materials — are provided free of charge to target audiences including federal and state policymakers, the German marine research community, international ocean governance bodies (UN Ocean Decade, COP negotiations), coastal stakeholders, and the general public. The primary revenue streams are three research-mission grants (totaling approximately €110M committed across all phases) plus undisclosed core coordination funding from BMBF and the five states.

Name

Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung (DAM) / German Marine Research Alliance

Legal name

Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung e.V.

Website

https://allianz-meeresforschung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Deutsche Allianz Meeresforschung (DAM) is a Berlin-based non-profit coordinating 25 German marine research institutions through three BMBF-funded research missions (CDRmare, sustainMare, mareXtreme), serving federal and state policymakers with science-based marine, climate, and coastal resilience research via digital portals and educational products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding (BMBF): Core funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) supporting the establishment, coordination, and execution of DAM's research missions, infrastructure coordination, data management, and transfer activities.
2. State Government Funding (Northern German States): Parallel funding from the science ministries of the five northern German federal states (Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Niedersachsen, Schleswig-Holstein) supporting research missions and alliance operations.
3. MareXtreme Research Mission Funding (20 Mio Euro / 3 years): Dedicated project funding of approximately 20 million euros distributed over 3 years (2024–2026) from BMBF and the five northern German states, allocated across four joint research projects: ElbeXtreme, METAscales, MULTI-MAREX, and PrimePrevention.
4. SustainMare Research Mission Funding: Two-phase funding: Phase I (2021–2024) at 25 million euros and Phase II (2024–2027) at approximately 19 million euros from BMBF and northern German states, supporting seven research networks including pilot projects MGF Nordsee, MGF Ostsee, CoastalFutures, CONMAR, CREATE, iSEAL, and SpaCeParti.
5. CDRmare Research Mission Funding: Two-phase funding: Phase I (2021–2024) at 26 million euros and Phase II (2024–2027) at approximately 20 million euros from BMBF and northern German states, supporting six research consortia (ASMASYS, RETAKE, sea4soCiety, GEOSTOR, TestArtUp, AIMS3).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DAM is a non-profit alliance that coordinates marine research across 25 leading German research institutions. Its core offerings are three transdisciplinary research missions (CDRmare on ocean carbon sinks, sustainMare on protection and sustainable use of marine areas, and mareXtreme on marine extreme events and natural hazards) and three public knowledge-transfer products (Ocean Online portal, Interactive World Ocean touchscreen map, Future Box Oceans educational kit). All outputs are delivered to government, science, and society free of charge, funded by federal and state government grants.

Product overview

The German Marine Research Alliance (DAM) operates as a coalition of 24 marine research institutions offering a portfolio of three inter- and transdisciplinary research missions (CDRmare, sustainMare, mareXtreme) alongside digital transfer products. The product portfolio includes two major digital platforms: Ocean Online (web-based information portal with AI semantic search) and Interactive World Ocean (touchscreen educational map), plus the Future Box Oceans educational kit. These are complemented by research missions investigating marine carbon sinks, sustainable marine use, and extreme marine events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CDRmare (Marine Carbon Sinks in Decarbonisation Pathways)
• sustainMare (Protection and Sustainable Use of Marine Areas)
• mareXtreme (Marine Extreme Events and Natural Hazards)
• Ocean Online
• Interactive World Ocean
• Future Box Oceans

Quantifiable outcome

• Three research missions generating science-based decision options for German federal and state governments on marine protection, carbon sequestration, and coastal resilience
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• FuturiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-development partner for the Future Box Oceans educational programme. Futurium contributes its expertise in futures education and exhibition design; DAM contributes marine science content. The resulting workshop-in-a-box is distributed free to German educational institutions and is registered as a UN Ocean Decade activity.
• German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)majorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Technical partner for the Ocean Online web portal, providing AI-supported semantic search functionality that enables intelligent querying of DAM's marine science knowledge base.
• German Aerospace Center (DLR)majorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Technical development partner for the Interactive World Ocean touchscreen application. DLR contributes its expertise in digital visualisation, interactive systems, and educational technology to create the touchscreen ocean map for schools and exhibitions.
• Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (idw)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Cooperation partner for the Ocean Online portal, which aggregates and makes searchable marine and climate-related research press releases from idw member institutions, enhancing the portal's news and knowledge content.
• UN Ocean Decade — Global Ecosystems for Ocean Solutions (GEOS) ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CDRmare research mission is officially registered as a project of the GEOS Decade Programme under the UN Ocean Decade, connecting DAM's carbon sink research with international ocean decade goals.
• UN Ocean Decade — Sustainability of Marine Ecosystems through global knowledge networks (SMARTNET) ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SustainMare research mission is officially registered as a project under the SMARTNET Decade Programme of the UN Ocean Decade, connecting DAM's marine protection research with international networks.
• UN Ocean Decade — CoastPredict ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MareXtreme research mission is officially registered as a project under the CoastPredict Decade Programme of the UN Ocean Decade, contributing to global coastal ocean observation and prediction efforts.
• EU Mission Restore our Ocean and WatersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ocean Online and Interactive World Ocean portals are official contributions to the EU Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters, aligning DAM's knowledge transfer activities with EU-level ocean protection goals and 2030 targets.
• Dubai Ocean Declaration SignatoriesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023DAM Executive Board signed the Dubai Ocean Declaration at COP28, joining international marine research institutions in calling for enhanced ocean protection, improved ocean observation, and integration of ocean contributions in national climate plans.
• German Ocean Decade Committee (ODK) / Deutsches Komitee der OzeandekadecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021DAM is a network partner of the German Ocean Decade Committee since 2021. DAM staff serve on the ODK board (Ute Wilhelmsen elected to ODK Board in January 2024) and in ODK working groups. All three DAM research missions are registered UN Ocean Decade projects. DAM contributes to Education & Society and Policy ODK work areas.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EuroMarine: European marine science network of research organisations, universities, and institutes. Comparable to DAM as a consortium-based alliance that coordinates marine research capacity, runs working groups, and supports joint activities among member institutions.
• JPI Oceans (Joint Programming Initiative Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans): Intergovernmental initiative coordinating marine research funding across European member states through joint programming. Comparable to DAM in its role of aligning national research priorities, mobilising joint calls, and providing science-based advice on seas and oceans.
• European Marine Board (EMB): European-level marine research coordination body that provides a strategic foresight forum for marine research institutes and funders. Directly comparable to DAM in its cross-institutional convening and science-policy interface role, but operates at pan-European rather than national level.
• Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO): International consortium of oceanographic institutions coordinating ocean observation and capacity-building activities. Comparable to DAM in its cross-institutional convening role for marine science, with particular overlap on observation infrastructure (mareXtreme / COSYNA).

Regional players

• IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea): France's national marine research institute, operating research fleets, observatories, and laboratories. Comparable to DAM's member institutions (e.g., GEOMAR, AWI) and as a national marine science platform, but serves as a single operator rather than a coordinating alliance.
• National Oceanography Centre (NOC, UK): UK's national centre for ocean science, technology, and observation. Comparable to DAM's coordinating function for UK marine research institutions, with similar research portfolios in ocean carbon, marine ecosystems, and coastal hazards.

Broad incumbents

• IOC-UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission): UN body that coordinates global ocean science, services, observations, and capacity development. Operates as a much larger incumbent version of DAM's coordination role at intergovernmental scale, including oversight of the UN Ocean Decade in which DAM's missions are registered.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration): US federal agency with broad marine and atmospheric research, observation, and forecasting responsibilities. Comparable to DAM as a public funder and coordinator of marine science, but at vastly larger scale and as a government agency rather than a coordinating association.

Others

• Helmholtz Association (Hermann von Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren): Germany's largest scientific organisation, of which several DAM member institutions (GEOMAR, AWI, Hereon, UFZ) are members. Comparable as an enabling framework for large-scale marine research, but spans all natural sciences rather than specialising in marine coordination.
• Future Earth: Global sustainability research network coordinating interdisciplinary research on environment and development. Comparable to DAM in its transdisciplinary research model and science-policy interface, though at global scale and across all sustainability domains rather than marine-specific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deutsche-allianz-meeresforschung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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