Office for Knowledge Exchange (OKE)

The Office for Knowledge Exchange (OKE)

Addressing urgent sustainability challenges in tropical coastal regions requires more than scientific excellence alone. Transdisciplinary research depends on meaningful collaboration between science, policy, industry, and civil society to co-develop relevant, applicable, and equitable solutions. The Office for Knowledge Exchange (OKE) was established in 2014 as a permanent hub at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) to strengthen collaboration between researchers and societal actors in Germany and tropical partner regions. The OKE is a key component of Programme Area 5 Societal Impact (PA5), supporting knowledge exchange, actor engagement, and societal impact across ZMT’s activities. It advances approaches for transdisciplinary collaboration, actor engagement, and science–policy–society interaction. At ZMT, knowledge exchange is understood as a continuous, problem-oriented, and reciprocal process that connects scientific and practical perspectives. It involves the exchange of data, information, experiences, technologies, and knowledge across sectors and actor groups — from the early stages of research design through implementation and beyond individual projects.

The OKE supports this process by fostering dialogue, developing capacities, and developing formats and approaches that strengthen collaboration at the science–society-policy interface.

The Office for Knowledge Exchange:

facilitates transdisciplinary dialogue and actor engagement within ZMT projects,
supports researchers in working effectively at the science–policy–society interface,
advises projects on actor engagement and transdisciplinary approaches during proposal development, implementation, and post-project phases,
develops methods, standards, and innovative formats for knowledge exchange,
strengthens institutional capacities for societal engagement and impact,
and shares experiences, tools, and concepts through partnerships and international networks.

Working with actors

We collaborate with diverse actor groups across research, policy, practice, and society. Learn more about our work with:

Partnerships and networks

Knowledge exchange is built on long-term collaboration. We work closely with partners and networks in Germany and across tropical regions to support research cooperation, capacity development, and societal impact.

Explore our collaborations and networks:

The Bremen Criteria: Our partnership approach

ZMT conducts research in close collaboration with partners in tropical regions. To guide these collaborations, ZMT developed the Bremen Criteria (“Bremer Kriterien”) as a framework for equitable, long-term, and mutually beneficial partnerships.

The Bremen Criteria promote:

long-term institutional cooperation,
meaningful involvement of partner scientists,
shared ownership and exchange of data and information,
and research that responds to scientific and societal needs in partner countries.

Download the Bremen Criteria 2025

Download Capacity Development Strategy 2025

Resources knowledge integration