The German Association for Maritime Technology held an event at Fraunhofer IGD in Rostock to get to know new faces as well as catch up with old colleagues, companions and friends. Fraunhofer IGD was especially thrilled to welcome Petra Mahnke, the chairwoman of the association. Mahnke has a degree in oceanography and not only steers the fate of the association, but has also been advising our institute’s management on onshore and offshore matters since 2019, a job she naturally prefers as an ocean expert. Her expertise comes at just the right time: The Digital Ocean Lab (DOL), under Fraunhofer’s direction, brings with it a one-of-a-kind underwater research landscape. Financing has already been secured and the DOL is now in the critical implementation phase. Dr. Christof Schygulla, who took the lead in conceiving the DOL, laid out the status quo in a speech to the members. This was followed by demo tours through the building to present the core technologies behind our underwater research as well as our AR/VR technology.

About the GMT

As a non-profit organization, the GMT represents the interests of businesses and research institutes nationwide in the field of maritime technology to the public and to policymakers. The event is held on the premises of each of the members on a rotating basis.