About us

Drift+Noise GmbH was founded in 2014 as a spin-off from the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven. Today, our main office is located in the heart of Bremen, Northern Germany.

Our Team

Our interdisciplinary team brings together polar researchers and sea-ice experts with many years of experience in scientific research and expeditions throughout the Arctic and Antarctic. This expertise is complemented by software engineers, remote-sensing specialists, and experienced business and administrative professionals.

What We Do

We support companies, vessel operators, research institutions, and other stakeholders working in the polar regions by helping them improve the safety and efficiency of marine operations in ice-covered waters. Our flagship service, IcySea, is a map-based application that provides operational sea-ice and weather information for polar navigation. IcySea is regularly used aboard more than 60 ice-going vessels worldwide, including Le Commandant Charcot, the research icebreaker Polarstern , and Australia's RSV Nuyina.

Who We Work With

Our long-standing customers represent a broad range of maritime sectors. In the expedition cruise industry, these include companies such as Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, PONANT, Lindblad Expeditions, and Seabourn. Our customers in cargo and project shipping include BigLift Shipping and Desgagnés. IcySea is also used aboard research and government-operated vessels from various countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Ukraine, Finland, and the United States. In addition, our services support fishing vessels operating in Canadian, Greenlandic, and Norwegian waters.

Our Research Interests

Beyond our operational services, Drift+Noise is actively involved in international research and technology projects. Our activities range from AI-supported route optimisation and deep-sea operations beneath sea ice to the development of innovative near-real-time and forecast products for polar marine operations. Partners in current and previous research and development projects include the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI), Polar View, MET Norway, University of Bremen, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust and the Hamburg Ship Model Basin (HSVA).