Mr Welker, what do you do as a Research Associate at the German Maritime Centre?
The current focus of my work lies on Artificial Intelligence. I explore how we can use AI at the German Maritime Centre in a meaningful and responsible way, and I observe the changes it brings to the maritime sector. I also build up internal expertise, from preparing data and developing initial test solutions to establishing practical, everyday workflows. Our goal is to firmly anchor new ways of analysing and making decisions within the organisation.
You also work on making our content visible on the web?
Exactly. For that, I use tailored web applications and interactive visualisations. They make complex industry and project data clear, easy to navigate, and, when useful, open to exploration. I rely on modern open-source technologies and combine web development with data analysis to present large datasets in an understandable, fast, and accessible way. A bit of “tinkering” is always part of the process – and I enjoy that.
Where does that love of “tinkering” come from?
That probably stems from my previous professional life, as I’m actually a meteorologist and spent quite some time working in climate research. Programming is absolutely fundamental in that field. You work with huge datasets and search them for insights. So, I was dealing with data processing and programming early on in my career, and I’ve always enjoyed it.
Here at the German Maritime Centre, my favourite working days are the ones when I get to programme. I like delving deeply into a topic and finding solutions that are interesting for us and for stakeholders across the sector.
In research, the focus was often on publications in academic journals, which usually appeal to a fairly small audience. Here at the German Maritime Centre, I believe that our research is applied much more, and our output is relevant to a wider group of people. That’s a real source of motivation for me.
How did you find your way into the maritime sector?
I don’t actually have a background in the maritime industry and only moved to Hamburg fairly recently, after living in southern Germany and Switzerland. Professionally, after my time in climate research I worked in the insurance sector, and later in software development. In that role, I began to miss the scientific context and the opportunity to think through topics in depth.
At the German Maritime Centre, my work has a much stronger scientific focus again. I can spend more time engaging with content and working carefully through it. So, I ended up in the sector more or less by coincidence, but I now find it very fascinating to immerse myself in maritime topics.
You mentioned earlier that you’re very involved with AI. In what ways?
On one hand, I use AI directly in my work on web applications, experimenting with how AI can support me in code generation. I like to think of AI as “doping” for my programming skills – it massively boosts my abilities and makes me more efficient.
Beyond that, I try to show my colleagues what’s possible with AI tools such as ChatGPT or Mistral. Every day, I’m genuinely amazed by what AI can do, and I want to share that knowledge with others at the German Maritime Centre. Of course, many of us have some concern that AI might “replace” us at some point, but I’m convinced that engaging with AI is essential. We should move away from a “human versus AI” mindset and instead focus on how the two can work together.
I think the German Maritime Centre already is quite open to AI – from small use cases to overarching strategic approaches.
What kinds of projects would you like to work on in the future?
In the near future, I’d like to focus more on sustainability and climate protection. These topics have always mattered to me a lot. The maritime industry often faces criticism for its continued reliance on fossil fuels. I find it exciting to engage with the sector and help shape a beginning towards a more climate-friendly future. This transition is very much necessary.
Specifically, I’m interested in projects that make climate risks for coasts and ports visible and point to possible courses of action, or projects that analyse the effects of drought and low water levels on inland shipping. The objective is to provide sound data to support faster and more informed decision-making.
Do you have a personal highlight from your time at the German Maritime Centre so far?
One big highlight for me is the team spirit and collaboration. Because we’re a relatively small group, the working atmosphere is very friendly and everyone has a good rapport with one another. That really helped me settle in at the start – and it continues to motivate me in my daily work.
