As of January 1, 2026, the Institute of Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has joined the U Bremen Research Alliance as a new member institution. With this new member, the Alliance now comprises 14 research institutions.
Research for Earth and Space: Climate Monitoring and Navigation
Established in 2019 and officially inaugurated on May 30, 2022, the DLR Institute — with locations in Hanover and Bremen — currently employs around 70 staff members across five departments. Their work focuses on developing innovative technologies for next-generation satellite missions. The primary emphasis lies in creating quantum technology-based inertial sensors and quantum optical systems for space applications. These range from miniaturized quantum sensors to satellite-based measurements of geophysical changes on earth, such as monitoring ice mass loss or assessing how agricultural irrigation impacts regional water cycles.
Since 2023, the Institute has been led by Professor Meike List, who oversees both sites. She began building the “Relativistic Modeling” department in Bremen in 2019, later assumed interim leadership of the Institute, and was appointed Co-Director in 2023 alongside Dr. Lisa Wörner. Since January 2022, Meike List has also served as an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Physics/Electrical Engineering at the University of Bremen, where she teaches in the field of space science and satellite modeling.
Professor Meike List: "I’m delighted that the Institute of Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing has attracted the attention of UBRA and, by extension, the broader scientific community in Bremen. With the Institute’s core focus on earth observation and quantum sensor-based navigation, we will make a significant contribution to Bremen’s research landscape in the future. I look forward to the collaboration within the context of UBRA and to celebrating our first joint achievements."
Synergies at the Bremen Research Hub
Through its research, the DLR Institute of Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing contributes to the High Profile Areas “Marine, Polar and Climate Research” and “Minds, Media, Machines” within the U Bremen Research Alliance. In addition, it maintains strong ties with other research institutions in the aerospace sector — one of the key strengths of Bremen as a European center of science and innovation.
Professor Jutta Günther, Chair of the U Bremen Research Alliance and President of the University of Bremen, emphasizes: "With the DLR Institute of Satellite Geodesy and Inertial Sensing, we are gaining a member institution whose research addresses major global challenges. The institute is an excellent match for the strategic direction of our alliance and further enriches its scientific diversity."
About the U Bremen Research Alliance
The U Bremen Research Alliance brings together the University of Bremen and thirteen non-university research institutions from all four major German science organizations — Fraunhofer Society, Helmholtz Association, Leibniz Association, and Max Planck Society — as well as the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). Together, these partner institutions shape a coordinated space for research, infrastructure, and innovation — “from the deep sea to outer space.”
Contact
Merle El-Khatib
U Bremen Research Alliance – Communications and Marketing
Phone: +49 (0)421 218-60046
Email: merle.el-khatib@vw.uni-bremen.de
Jana Hoidis
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Public Affairs – Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Oldenburg, Geesthacht, Kiel
Phone: +49 (0)421 24420-1908
Email: jana.hoidis@dlr.de
https://www.bremen-research.de/en/research-alliance
https://www.dlr.de/en/si
Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (left) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Fechte-Heinen (right) warmly welcome Prof. ...
Source: Merle El-Khatib
Copyright: U Bremen Research Alliance
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Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (left) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Fechte-Heinen (right) warmly welcome Prof. ...
Source: Merle El-Khatib
Copyright: U Bremen Research Alliance
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