News 2026

Marking 150 Years of Geodesy in Bonn

The University of Bonn will be celebrating 150 years of geodesy in the city on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. With a special ceremony, the University’s Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation will be acknowledging its long tradition in research and teaching while also turning its thoughts to the future. Specifically, it will be asking what contributions geodesy will need to make to society, science and technology over the coming decades.

Susanne Glaser Honored with a Special Invitation to Japan

As one of two internationally renowned experts, Susanne Glaser, Professor for Space Geodesy, was invited by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) to visit Tokyo and Tsukuba from 12 to 18 September 2026. The purpose of the visit was to further strengthen the exchange of knowledge and international cooperation in the field of geodesy. Geodesy is concerned with measuring and monitoring of the Earth, today primarily using satellite techniques such as the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

How much are the world’s oceans warming?

The world’s oceans behave like a thermometer: As the water warms, it expands and sea levels rise. Geodesy researchers at the University of Bonn are able to measure this and determine how much the oceans are warming. For individual ocean basins, their method has revealed significant deviations from model calculations—in some cases in the double-digit percentage range.

From the Rhine to the Tropics

Using a low-cost sensor and the Global Navigation Satellite System Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR), river water levels can be monitored around the clock. The water level data are automatically transmitted via cellular networks to an analysis center. Researchers at the University of Bonn developed the method several years ago and tested it on the Lower Rhine. With support from the European Space Agency (ESA), the monitoring system is now also being used in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

Start-up Pheno-Inspect GmbH closes seed funding round

Pheno-Inspect GmbH, an AgTech start-up that emerged from research work at the University of Bonn, has successfully closed its first seed financing round. In addition to NRW.BANK and several private investors via the Companisto business angel network, one of the leading agricultural machinery groups, CLAAS, has also joined the company as a strategic investor. Pheno-Inspect GmbH was founded in 2020 as a start-up of the University of Bonn by Dr. Philipp Lottes and Prof. Dr. Cyrill Stachniss (Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation and Cluster of Excellence 'PhenoRob').

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Preparations for the planned ESA satellite mission “Genesis”

As part of the Genesis-D project led by the GFZ Potsdam, German institutions are preparing for the European Space Agency's (ESA) new Genesis satellite mission, which is scheduled to launch in 2028.