150 employees for federal city European Meteorological Office comes to Bonn
Bonn · The city of Bonn has won the race in the bid to become the location for the future headquarters of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF). According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the Council of the ECMWF decided today to locate the Centre in Bonn.
The city of Bonn has won the bidding for the future headquarters of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The Federal Ministry of Transport announced on Tuesday that the Council of the ECMWF had decided to locate the Centre in Bonn.
As reported, the Federal Government had applied for the additional office in the European Union with the Bonn site. The Federal Ministry of Transport had officially expressed its interest in the location on 25 May. The centre is a leader in global numerical weather forecasting and climatology. Earth observation programmes are a central component of the climate researchers' work. According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the new location is to be set up from next year with 150 employees.
Initially, it is planned to house the staff at an interim location at the Federal Environment Ministry as an interim solution. In addition, a new campus is to be built on a federally owned site on Ludwig-Erhard-Allee near the Federal Environment Ministry. The entire move is to be completed in the second half of 2023.
Bonn's Mayor, Katja Dörner, was delighted with the decision: "The success of the German application shows that Bonn is highly attractive worldwide as an international university and science location.“ NRW Minister President Armin Laschet said that the decision for Bonn was "a decision for Europe, excellence and networking“.
Other cities such as Vienna and Barcelona had applied for the new seat. Up to now, the independent international weather authority, which is supported by 22 states, has been working in Reading, UK. The British withdrawal from the EU meant that a location within the European Union had to be found.
(Original text: Philipp Königs and Lisa Inhoffen; Translation: Mareike Graepel)