Meet the Team – Dr. Thomas Landwehr
Through our ‘Meet the Team’ series, we continue to shine a spotlight on the people who make up the ISL. We provide personal insights into their career paths, areas of expertise and individual motivations. In this way, we showcase the people behind our projects who help shape the ISL every day with their expertise, ideas and dedication.
Today’s profile: Dr. Thomas Landwehr, Head of the Maritime Transport Chains and Maritime Security Practice Area and an expert in security, SmartPort, and hinterland logistics.
How did you come to join ISL?
I studied Geography at the University of Bremen, with Economics and Law as minor subjects, and graduated with a Diplom. During my studies, I came into contact with Prof. Zachcial and this led me to join the ISL initially as a student assistant. Whilst working as a research assistant, I completed my PhD at the ISL and successfully passed my doctoral examination in 2011, qualifying as Dr. rer. pol.
What does your work at the Institute involve?
I am a Research Associate and Project Manager at the ISL and have been heading the Maritime Transport Chains competence area since 2018. In particular, I have spent a great deal of time in recent years working on applied research projects funded at regional and national level. My work has focused, amongst other things, on cross-organisational process optimisation of supply chains, lorry access control in conjunction with a slot management system, and port rail projects. I am currently investigating the structural transformation of ports towards the ‘Smartport’ concept and aim to develop new expertise in the areas of sensor platforms and robotics as part of our Smartport Living Lab. The ISL is focusing on the use of drones and mobile robots in the context of port security, but other use cases are also conceivable, such as in the fields of surveying and mapping.
What do you like most about your work?
Every project is different and brings new challenges. That is exactly what makes my work so exciting for me. Even after more than 20 years at the ISL, there are always new topics, questions and tasks for me to get to grips with. I particularly appreciate the opportunity to work on innovative solutions together with various partners, whilst constantly looking beyond the boundaries of my own specialist field. This means that even after many years in the profession, I can still learn something new every day.
Would you share one more personal detail with us?
In my spare time, I enjoy astronomy and music. Recently, I’ve also taken up drone flying. My life motto: ‘I believe in Kant!’
