The DARKER SKY team includes project partners from universities, national parks, port authorities and municipalities supported by associated partners and external project management experts.
We bring together 13 partner organisations from 4 North Sea Region countries: France, the Netherlands, Denmark & Germany
Brest, France
The Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) research team develops research programmes dealing with the interaction between human activities and biodiversity, linked to nature management and urban planning. UBO launched the scientific consortium Noz Breizh that focuses on light pollution and studies about the impact of ALAN on biodiversity. In this context, we are developing and testing a methodology to analyse the impact of ALAN on different taxa (arthropods, worms, but also vegetation). We also test a sound landscape approach.
UBO coordinates DARKER SKY and ensures proper internal communication and overall project management. Besides lead partnership, UBO brings in its competences in developing the ecological effects monitoring framework, consulting partners with adaptation of the monitoring protocol for individual demonstrators, and conducting the environmental monitoring and pilot evaluation in France in collaboration with Brest Metropole (BM). Main results will feed into educational material for the light pollution knowledge hub. Together with BM, UBO uses its scientific networks and established communication channels for public awareness campaigns (e.g. La nuit est belle.org), regional roll-out and collaboration with national and EU initiatives for developing a transnational strategy.
Contact: Enora Morin (Project Manager), enora.morin@univ-brest.fr
Hamburg, Germany
REM Consult is an independent consulting company with expertise in EU-funded projects. To support the challenges faced by cities and counties in applying for and coordinating EU projects, the company began with a focus on Interreg initiatives in the North and Baltic Sea Region. Over the years REM evolved to support numerous projects in various EU funding programs, including Interreg, Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, and federal programs. They not only develop and write project applications but also provide comprehensive support in project management, financial management, public relations, and the organisation of conferences and workshops.
REM Consult was commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality as part of the “Program towards a Rich Wadden Sea (Programma naar een Rijke Waddenzee)” to lead the development and application of the project. Since September 2023, REM Consult supports the lead partner UBO in the project and financial management.
Contact: Mareike Hannes, hannes@rem-consult.eu, Angelo Gilles, gilles@rem-consult.eu
Brest, France
As local authority Brest Métropole (BM) oversees public lighting management, biodiversity protection, and climate and energy initiatives. The municipality engages in a Local Nocturnal Ambience Coherence Scheme (NACS), internally collaborating across departments like Biodiversity, Energy, and Urban Planning to define territorial black frames. The Noz Breizh project, in partnership with the University of Brest and private companies, focuses on nightlife, smart lighting, and urban ecology. Within the Tomorrow H2020 project, BM leads a coalition on black frames, involving stakeholders like the Port of Brest, naval bases, airport, and commercial centres. Notably, Brest is ISO 50 001 certified for public lighting management and has achieved the gold level of the European Energy Award.
Within the project BM is fostering the exchange of ideas and innovations across the North Sea Region (NSR) to advance lighting practices and biodiversity protection. This involves initial work on legislation, leveraging France's 2018 Decree and related policies. BM focuses on defining light pollution, ecological effects monitoring, and evaluation frameworks. The municipality tests new lighting modes and systems on two sites, engaging in local co-design, implementation, and evaluation processes. BM contributes to upscaling project results at various levels, utilising networks such as AITF, ANPCEN, International Dark Sky Association, and others, emphasising public awareness, cooperation, and exchange.
Contact: Anne-Marie Cabon, anne-marie.cabon@brest-metropole.fr
Hamburg, Germany
The District of Hamburg-Altona (Bezirksamt Altona, BA), functioning as a local public authority, specialises in urban planning administration and management. While the administration of lighting planning falls under the Hamburger Traffic Facility Ltd., BA establishes the conceptual political framework for action plans and facilitates cross-administrational knowledge exchange on sustainable urban planning, mobility, and nature protection. As the lead partner in the Interreg BSR project LUCIA, BA possesses extensive expertise in sustainable and smart urban lighting solutions. The BA administration's Zukunftsinitiative STADTKLIMA team supports the city's ambitious goals for accelerating sustainable urban planning.
In the DARKER SKY project, BA contributes its knowledge on policies, sustainable urban planning, and lighting solutions, drawing from the LUCIA project, to all activities in Work Package 1 “Framing”. Additionally, BA collaborates with HAW to facilitate regional co-design and pilot implementation processes, including stakeholder needs analysis and planning procurement. To integrate DARKER SKY solutions into regional action plans and address administrative fragmentation, BA guides the local partnership and stakeholders. Cooperation with HAW extends to regional public awareness, initiatives, and the provision of educational material for planners and practitioners.
Contact: Heike Bunte, heike.bunte@altona.hamburg.de
Hamburg, Germany
The HAW team, comprising the Lighting Laboratory and the Research and Transfer Centre Digital Reality (FTZ DR) within the Faculty of Design, Media, and Information at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, brings relevant competencies to the project. The Lighting Laboratory contributes expertise in policies, standards, light measurement technologies, and long-term experience in lighting design processes. The FTZ DR adds immersive technologies expertise, gained through research projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Federal Foreign Office.
Their role in the project involves leading the policy screening and light pollution mapping, as well as supporting the development of pilot evaluation frameworks. In work package 2, HAW leads the development of the co-design approach, implementing immersive technologies into the co-design process for pilot projects and conducting co-design lighting workshops with stakeholders. In pilot-specific actions, the HAW Hamburg team supports the Municipality Hamburg-Altona (BA) for the Hamburg demonstrator site by assessing the pilot area and conducting market analysis of light installations.
Contact: Carolin Liedtke, Carolin.Liedtke@haw-hamburg.de
Holwerd, the Netherlands
Landmakers Coöperatie U.A. (LM) is a key entity within the Holwerd aan Zee (HaZ) Project, dedicated to addressing future challenges in rural development, demographics, and climate change in the province. Founded in 2014 through a collaborative effort involving citizens, businesses, nature associations, and government, LM employs an integrated bottom-up approach, aligning with The New European Bauhaus principles for sustainable living. The organisation is involved in the Interreg NSR project BEESPOKE and Farmers Insect Monitoring Agricultural Areas (BIMAG) projects, contributing expertise in innovative biodiversity measurements. LM has established collaborations on innovative lighting concepts with various entities, including National Park Texel, Dark Sky Park Lauwersmeer, and the Municipality of Heerenveen.
In this project, the organisation takes on the role of overall Project Communication Management, coordinating outreach activities and campaigns. As the local pilot coordinator, LM deploys immersive learning technologies (VR/AR) in Holwerd to introduce lighting solutions through co-design and implementation with the community. They also contribute to the development of a common pilot evaluation scheme and oversee related pilot evaluations. Environmental monitoring is conducted in collaboration with VHL, while sky illumination and brightness measurements are performed by RUG.
Contact: Jan-Willem van Kruyssen, jw@vankruyssen.eu
Heerenveen, the Netherlands
The Municipality Heerenveen (MH) is committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, emphasising biodiversity and climate resilience. The organisation has a climate adaptation and biodiversity implementation agenda for 2020-2022, with long-term goals focusing on energy transition, biodiversity, and circularity. MH draws on experiences from the Light Challenge to combat light pollution in public spaces, implementing measures like cat's eyes on cycle paths and experimenting with lighting adjustments. MH organised five Light Challenge editions, including the 2021 theme 'Glowing Nature,' resulting in the creation of the start-up 4f.studio, which developed an algae reactor. While MH is not directly located at the Wadden Sea, its hinterland lighting infrastructure impacts protected marine areas.
MH contributes to the project by addressing awareness, researching light pollution, enhancing social and road safety, promoting innovation, and fostering collaboration. The start-up 4f.studio continues to develop the algae reactor and other products with input from DARKER SKY. MH plans to conduct a new Light Challenge on Dark Sky and glowing nature, involving team recruitment, masterclasses, on-location research, concept development, feedback sessions, and a final event, with the winning concept applied in the North Sea region in 2024.
Contact: Carlijn Timmermans, carlijn@clightwise.com
Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
VHL is an institution focused on educating professionals for sustainable transitions. Engaged in green higher education and applied research, VHL has expertise in insect biodiversity, particularly in agroecosystems, demonstrated through projects like BEESPOKE and FARM-LIFE. Arjen Strijkstra, associated with VHL, has a strong background in wildlife management and research.
In the DARKER SKY project, VHL aims to enhance insect monitoring methods, adapting techniques such as changed lighting on moth traps and innovative developments for sticky traps. VHL contributes to the development of the Ecological Effects Monitoring Framework and conducts environmental impact monitoring, involving citizens and farmers in the process. The institution integrates citizen science in biodiversity monitoring, making methods transferable, and disseminates knowledge through various channels, including the online knowledge hub.
Contact: Arjen Strijkstra, arjen.strijkstra@hvhl.nl
Oldenburg, Germany
CVO is actively involved in the project with a focus on monitoring and measuring light pollution and sky brightness. Operating various all-sky cameras and robotic telescopes, CVO serves as the national coordinator for the Fripon-AllskyCam System and FRIPON Network. Engaged in the Interreg NS Project KID, CVO collaborates with RUG and Aarhus University to enhance measuring methods for monitoring light pollution in the North Sea Wadden Sea Area. Additionally, CVO partners with local organisations for adult education and the Dark Sky Park Spiekeroog, conducting outreach activities and promoting good practices for reducing light pollution.
In the DARKER SKY project, CVO contributes to policy screening and the development of the Ecological Effects Monitoring Framework and Pilot Evaluation Framework. CVO leads the development of the light pollution mapping framework. In the regional pilot demonstrator in Lower Saxony, CVO takes a lead role in light measurements, participates in regional workshops with stakeholders, and supports pilot implementation and evaluation. Collaborating with RUG and AU, CVO conducts measurements and analyses satellite data for regional and transnational uptake and collaborates with NPLVW on public awareness, outreach activities, and the knowledge hub.
Contact: Björn Poppe, bjoern.poppe@uni-oldenburg.de
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
NLPVW, responsible for managing the UNESCO Lower Saxony Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve in Germany, possesses thematic competences relevant to nature conservation, sustainable development, and dark sky issues. Involved in the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation and with experience in joint projects and initiatives, including the Trilateral Dark Sky Initiative, NLPVW plays a key role in promoting environmental awareness and addressing light pollution in the region.
In the DARKER SKY project, NLPVW contributes to project implementation, communication, and leads the Transnational good practice exchange Work Package. Serving as the regional pilot coordinator for activities in Lower Saxony, NLPVW organizes workshops with stakeholders, supports pilot implementation, and oversees evaluation. Also, NLPVW acts as the regional communication coordinator, focusing on public awareness, policy integration, cooperation with initiatives, and links to UNESCO Wadden Sea World Heritage and transnational policy uptake.
Contact: Katrin Kirfel, Katrin.Kirfel@nlpvw.niedersachsen.de
Norden, Germany
Niedersachsen Ports (NPorts), a port group with 15 ports in Northwest Germany, plays a significant role in the local economy and island supply, with some ports located near sensitive habitats like the Wadden Sea World Heritage. Recognizing the potential impact of their operations on ecosystem services and sensitive habitats, NPorts has developed environmental strategies and approaches to reduce its ecological footprint. With a growing awareness of the impact of light emissions on wildlife, NPorts aims to minimise its environmental impact on birds, insects, and other species.
In the project, NPorts takes the lead in implementing and testing a pilot demonstration lighting system in the eastern part of the Port of Norddeich, focusing on legal lighting requirements, professional association standards, and reducing light emissions. The initiative includes considerations for necessary light intensity, optimised light management, light colour, and luminaire shielding and alignment. NPorts supports scientific monitoring, contributes its experiences, and aims to create a learning system to draw conclusions for environmentally friendly and low-light emission solutions. The knowledge gained will be shared with stakeholders beyond the project's lifetime, contributing to future port projects and environmental sustainability.
Contact: Denise Schablitzki, dschablitzki@nports.de
Based in Wilhelmshaven, Germany (trilateral initiative of Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands)
CWSS contributes with extensive international experience in nature conservation, monitoring, science-policy interfaces, and policy and management. As a facilitator of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation, CWSS focuses on protecting the Wadden Sea. The organisation is a focal point for international collaborations, including the Wadden Sea Flyway and the Wadden Sea Seals Agreement. It currently organises and supports the Trilateral Dark Sky Initiative.
In the project, CWSS contributes to the implementation, information exchange, best practices dissemination, and result upscaling The organisation supports policy screening activities with an emphasis on international and transnational policies CWSS actively contributes to upscaling project results at different scales, particularly at the transnational, European, and international levels, leveraging its extensive networks. CWSS takes a lead role in coordinating the development of a transnational strategy to diminish light pollution, contributing to the overall objectives of the project.
Contact: Cristina Nazzari, nazzari@waddensea-secretariat.org
Groningen, the Netherlands
RUG, the University of Groningen, contributes expertise in astronomy and biology, particularly in image processing and the effects of darkness on animals and humans. Collaborating with Staatsbosbeheer in the Dark Sky Park Lauwersmeer, RUG supports activities to raise awareness against light pollution. Involved in the "Donkerte van de Wadden (Darkness of the Wadden Sea)" project, RUG maintains a darkness monitoring network and leads the Interreg NS Project KID, focusing on measuring light pollution through inter-comparison of data sources.
In the DARKER SKY project, RUG plays a vital role in policy screening, GP exchange, and developing the Ecological Effects Monitoring Framework. Leading the sky brightness monitoring framework, RUG coordinates the transnational co-design approach in the regional pilot demonstrator, conducts light measurements, and supports pilot implementation. Collaborating with CVO and AU, RUG contributes to measurements, public awareness, and the knowledge hub for regional and transnational uptake.
Contact: Reynier Peletier, peletier@astro.rug.nl
Aarhus, Denmark
Danish Astrophysics (IDA) contribute important expertise to the project, particularly in sky brightness measurements. With extensive involvement in international projects, AU owns the Nordic Optical Telescope and participates in NASA and ESA satellites. AU collaborates with Southern Denmark organisations on dark sky protection and is a partner in the Interreg NS Project KID, focusing on improving measuring methods for monitoring light pollution.
In the project, AU takes a leading role in developing the Light Pollution Mapping Framework with RUG and CVO, providing methodologies for measuring light illumination and sky brightness. Collaborating with Esbjerg Municipality, AU contributes to the regional roll-out of pilots, conducting sky brightness measurements on the city and regional levels. Additionally, AU, in collaboration with RUG and CVO, works on identifying NSR Dark Ecological Corridors, using sky brightness measurements as a basis for transnational strategies. AU also contributes to ensuring a comprehensive role in content contributions and project activities
Contact: Hans Kjeldsen,hans@phys.au.dk
Photo: Jan-Willem van Kruyssen