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Dr Ortwin Aschenborn
Wildlife veterinarian and project head at Leibniz-IZW

I like to roll up my sleeves and get to action, not talk, and do something that I believe is worth doing…

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Prof Dr Dr Theresa Götz
Chief scientist AI at Fraunhofer IIS

It is very nice to see that with the help of mathematics and countless hours of personal commitment, we can make the world a little better. The outstanding interdisciplinary collaboration makes me want to work on many projects together.

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Felix Kreyß
Project head SyNaKI at Fraunhofer IIS

It is important to me to work on developing technologies that address relevant problems such as global warming, species extinction, an environmentally friendly economy and much more. In doing so, I'm always looking for innovative technological solutions so that my work can make the greatest possible contribution.

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Florian Leschka
Project head GAIA-Sat-IoT at Fraunhofer IIS

What excites me about working in the GAIA Initiative is that we contribute to solving very specific societal challenges, such as species and wildlife conservation, by developing state-of-the-art technologies. In particular, the interdisciplinary collaboration with engineers from a wide range of disciplines, biologists and veterinarians motivates me anew every day.

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Dr Jörg Melzheimer
Wildlife biologist and project head at Leibniz-IZW

I love wildlife science with a deep-tech twist and I find it rewarding to solve problems outside my comfort zone. I absolutely enjoy bringing different mindsets and worlds together to work creatively on matters that determine our common well-being on this planet. GAIA for me is all of this - a research think tank, tech startup and environmental NGO working on a world that we can happily pass on to our children.

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Rainer Wansch
Head of Business Field Satellite Communications

My goal is to use satellite communication for connecting people, animals and things locally and globally. I am excited that our technologies for IoT over satellite, for integrating satellites in 5G and 6G networks and for high-throughput satellites have a direct application reference in GAIA and serve a good purpose at the same time.

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Maik Bauer
Embedded C++ Programmer

I love being part of the development of new technologies and trying new things that no one has tried or even thought of before.

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Douglas Branch
Scientist at Leibniz-IZW

Since childhood I have had a love and passion for understanding the natural world, over time this passion has evolved into a desire to do science. I believe that and strong and complex understanding of nature is need to preserve our wildlife into the future and my research is a small part of that.

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Alexander von Canal
AI specialist at Leibniz-IZW

Over the course of my life I developed a great interest in many fields of science: applied and abstract, natural and technical. Especially my passion for wild animals has followed me my whole life. Right now our biosphere is in great danger and I am happy to work in this interdisciplinary research team, trying to tackle some of the ecological problems with the tools science provides.

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Dr Teja Curk
Scientist at Leibniz-IZW

I enjoy learning about the behavior of animals, their interactions with the environment and the challenges they are facing in a rapidly changing anthropogenic world. My passion and ultimate goal is to use this scientific knowledge for informing local management and for providing science-based tools and solutions that facilitate conservation of endangered species.

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Thi Uyen Ly Dang
Senior Scientist for Satellite IoT at Fraunhofer IIS

The GAIA project offers the opportunity to better understand our environment in order to protect the ecosystem and the planet in which we live. The work within an interdisciplinary consortium for this project is challenging, but has a certain charm though. Different worlds with different understanding collide. As senior scientist for satellite communications I try to translate the biologists needs into technical requirements for the communication system – a task, which I enjoy and drives my personal motivation. Biologists meets engineers for Life!

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Jürgen Ernst
Technical project head at Fraunhofer IIS

As an enthusiastic electrical engineer, I am interested in technology and natural science. What appeals to me about the project from a technical point of view is the development of a new type of animal transmitter with camera and image processing, which is energy-autonomous, miniaturized and optimally adapted to the anatomy of the vulture. I also like the fact that the project makes an important contribution to nature and animal conservation, which is more important than ever, especially in today's world.

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Walter Frese
Co-Founder and CEO of Rapid Cubes GmbH

My interest in GAIA is based on my enthusiasm for the topic of satellite communication and in a special proximity of GAIA's work to one of the most pressing global challenges of our time: the protection of our environment. That is why GAIA became a matter of the heart for me personally.

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Stephan Göb
Specialist for AI /AI on embedded hardware

In my role as a mechatronics engineer/researcher, I enjoy the combination of mechanical engineering, computer science and electronics. In the project, it's a delightful mix of broad knowledge, networking, learning, and growth that allows us to develop innovative solutions while deepening our expertise. Together, we are designing a pioneering product.

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Dr Subodh Ingaleshwar
Embedded AI specialist at Fraunhofer IIS

It’s not only our duty but necessity to save wildlife to save ourselves from the destruction caused by humans-wildlife conflicts. The GAIA TAG is need of the hour and I believe this is just the beginning of new era in the world of wildlife research. As a researcher, I consider this as dream come true opportunity, to be part of the eco system provided by Fraunhofer IIS in association with Leibniz-IZW, in solving zoological problems and research.

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Ekaterina Kovtun
Project coordinator at Leibniz-IZW

To keep it short: let's roll!

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Dr Miha Krofel
Co-PI for the lion research at University of Ljubljana and Leibniz-IZW

I am fascinated by the myriad of ecological processes that determine the functioning of ecosystems across the globe. I love unrevealing the detailed secrets about the roles each species plays in the complex web of life on this planet. Especially when new understanding helps the people or conservation of wildlife.

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Torsten Ohlenforst
Technical Lead for SyNaKI at Fraunhofer IIS

I like to think outside the box and always enjoy learning new things. My broadly diversified competencies help me to have a good overview for the development of complex systems. What excites me about the project is the interdisciplinary collaboration with other scientists and that immediate benefits can be observed from our developments.

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Jonas Mrazek
Technical Development IoT communication at Fraunhofer IIS

I like trying out new technology and making things work – especially in the field of electronics, from simulation software to embedded software and hardware. What I particularly like about the GAIA project is the exchange with non-technical colleagues. There is great potential for new ideas here.

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Christof Schlund
Consultant System Engineering and Hardware Design at Fraunhofer IIS

Making the seemingly impossible possible through a combination of ideas, creativity and innovation - that's what excites me. When the resulting technologies are applied in a context as significant as that of the GAIA project, it is all the more impressive. As a result, we can directly contribute to advancing the conservation of endangered species.

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Dr Manuel Schrauth
Distributed AI specialist at Fraunhofer IIS

As someone with a great affinity for modern technology, I am fascinated by the complex issues that can be solved in non-technical areas, such as wildlife conservation, with the help of computers. What I love about the GAIA Initiative is that it combines both, current research and state-of-the-art technical advancement – in a challenging but at the same time extremely fascinating way.

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Rubén Portas
Field scientist in Namibia at Leibniz-IZW

I have dedicated most of my adult life to nature conservation and wildlife research and my passion and daily drive emanate from this long-term vision. The GAIA Initiative brings together applied research and technological development to improve and reach conservation goals. Working in this multidisciplinary and ambitious project already feels like a life achievement.

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Wanja Rast
Wildlife biologist and AI specialist at Leibniz-IZW

I like science that generates knowledge that can be applied to solve problems and help with general conservation issues.

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Dr Shrutika Sawant
AI software specialist at Fraunhofer IIS

Rapidly growing needs of humans and corresponding exploitation of natural resources threatens the ecological integrity of the forest and its inhabitants. Realizing the need for immediate conservation of wildlife, it's our bonded duty to act now to reverse the declining trend of climate. I firmly believe the GAIA Initiative is one such step towards this goal. As a researcher, I am greatly obliged to Fraunhofer IIS and Leibniz-IZW for allowing me to contribute to solve problems related to wildlife conservation.

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Moritz Thome
Ad-hoc network architect at Fraunhofer IIS

My passion is solving problems that can be tackled with technical finesse. A project arouses my enthusiasm exactly when small preliminary work makes it a pioneer of new techniques and methods. Communication systems requires in-depth research and only make the use of future technologies possible.

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Jan Zwilling
Science communicator at Leibniz-IZW

My passion is communication and environmental storytelling that builds on excellent science and ingenuity. For millenia, humans have passed on knowledge from one generation to another through stories. This went a long way in changing the world for the better. And now we need to change it – and us – once again, to stop being apart from nature and to become a part of nature again. GAIA is all of that and I love being a part of it!

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