Kiel. Last week, Gerrit Derkowski, independent candidate for the office of Lord Mayor of the City of Kiel, visited the technology company north.io at its offices in the Kiel Science Park. The purpose of the visit was to learn more about the company’s Ocean Data Platform and its innovative big data solutions, which are used globally in the maritime sector.
Derkowski first learned about north.io through a SPIEGEL-Online article, which highlighted the company’s role as “The Ocean Big Data Specialist.” During his visit, he expressed strong interest in how digital technologies enable the management, processing, and visualization of ocean data, an area in which Kiel is gaining international recognition.
“Kiel has tremendous potential to become a hub for maritime innovation - with start-ups and companies like north.io setting international standards. The close collaboration between science, business, and technology creates great opportunities for the future of our city”, said Derkowski, independent mayoral candidate for Kiel.
Moreover, Derkowski emphasized that Kiel’s reputation as a science and technology hub continues to grow. Many innovative companies have recently established themselves in the city - both in the Wissenschafts- (Science-) Park and in the city center. Most recently, EUROATLAS, a company originally based in Bremen, opened a new office at Kleiner Kiel, where Derkowski attended the inauguration event and met north.io employees - leading to yesterday’s visit.
Background: For years, north.io has been developing software solutions for managing, processing, and visualizing ocean data at scale. Its Ocean Data Platform is used in international maritime cooperation projects, including the NATO REPMUS 2025 exercise in Portugal and the upcoming SeaSEC 2026 in the Baltic Sea region.
“We appreciate Mr. Derkowski’s interest and the open exchange on the future of maritime innovation in Kiel. Schleswig-Holstein - and especially Kiel - offers ideal conditions to develop technologies that drive the digital transformation of the oceans and make them accessible worldwide”, said Jann Wendt, CEO north.io.
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