Parliamentary Visit to Federal Police on UXO Clearance: north.io Participates as Expert

Neustadt in Holstein, Germany – On 16 July 2024, a delegation from the German Bundestag visited the Bad Bramstedt Federal Police Headquarters, Maritime Federal Police Directorate, in Neustadt. The visit focused on the important topic of munitions clearance in the Baltic Sea. Jann Wendt (37), CEO of north.io, was one of four experts invited to accompany this high-ranking parliamentary trip to underline the importance of digitalisation for munitions clearance.

Delegation visit starts with an insight into munitions clearance

The delegation was warmly welcomed on board the BP 82 BAMBERG by Senior Police Director Nils von Waaden, Head of the Federal Police Sea Division. After a safety briefing and a brief overview of behaviour on board, the ship set sail. The first item on the programme was a comprehensive briefing on the clearance of old munitions in the Baltic Sea, presented by the GEOMAR Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research Kiel.

Expert presentations and discussions

Prof. Dr Jens Greinert explained the immediate munitions clearance programme, which promises decisive progress in dealing with hazardous munitions that are still stored in the waters of the Baltic Sea. The guests were then able to experience at first hand the technologies and methods used to safely remove the munitions.

A tour of the ship was also offered as part of the event, during which the operational resources, including the special P86 operational vessel, and the tasks of the Federal Police Sea were explained. The discussions during the lunchtime snack offered participants the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts and gather important information.

The role of north.io

In his remarks, Wendt emphasised the essential role of digitalisation in munitions clearance: "The challenges associated with munitions clearance require innovative approaches and technologies. At north.io, we develop digital solutions that not only improve the efficiency of clearance processes, but also help to increase safety in our waters. Our software and the resulting analyses play a crucial role in effectively identifying and removing these contaminated sites."

Conclusion

According to Wendt, the Bundestag delegation's visit to the Federal Police Headquarters in Bad Bramstedt was an important step towards raising awareness of the challenges and progress made in munitions clearance in the Baltic Sea. "The close cooperation between the Federal Police, scientific institutes such as GEOMAR and innovative companies such as north.io is crucial to ensuring safety in our waters and minimising future dangers," Wendt states and adds: "We look forward to continuing these important discussions and developing new technologies for munitions clearance in the Baltic Sea!"

All images copyright Hakan Özoglan