BfS opens Competence Centre for Electromagnetic Fields

Radiation sources in everyday life Source: elenabsl/Stock.adobe.com

The new Competence Centre for Electromagnetic Fields (KEMF) officially moved to its new location in Cottbus on 28 October 2021. Representatives of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Brandenburg state government were there to mark the occasion. Here, natural scientists, social scientists, and communication experts from various disciplines research the possible effects of electromagnetic fields.

The Competence Centre is an important contact point for the public. It is intended to provide targeted and expert information on electromagnetic radiation. In view of major societal challenges such as the energy transition and digitalisation, this is particularly important. The KEMF was founded on 5 February 2020.

Paulini: Radiation research is research for the future

President of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, Dr Inge Paulini

Inge Paulini, BfS President: "Electromagnetic fields are generated by mobile phones, computer screens, and other digital technologies as well as electric cars and power lines. There is a huge demand by the public for reliable information on electromagnetic fields.

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection now has a location in Cottbus that bundles expertise for research and communication in this area, thereby underscoring the importance of radiation research as future research."

Flasbarth: The provision of information is the focus

Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry: "In the area of environmental and health protection, policy makers are particularly dependent on scientific evidence. With the newly opened competence centre, we will remain at the forefront. It is particularly important that we not only advance scientific knowledge but also focus on communicating it to the public."

According to the current state of scientific knowledge, no adverse health effects from electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields are to be expected as long as the applicable limit values are observed. In the KEMF, employees of the BfS work to continually reduce the remaining uncertain-ties and to support the development of new technologies, especially digital technologies.

Strengthening Lusatia as an energy region

The Cottbus site is located in Lusatia, a traditional energy region currently undergoing major changes and reorientation towards renewable energies. Research into new technologies plays an important role in this. Here, the KEMF and the BfS are involved with other regional stakeholders and local scientific institutions such as the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg (BTU).

"It's no coincidence that the competence centre is located in Cottbus. We have worked to build something new in the regions affected by structural change. The authorities in our business area will contribute to this. The KEMF in Lusatia is just one example. I am confident that it will fit perfectly in the middle of this energy region and work well with other players in the region", says Flasbarth.

Information for the public and local authorities

View over Cottbus from the roof of the KEMF

The foundation of the KEMF goes back to decisions of the Federal Government to have both the electricity grid and mobile phone expansion supported by intensified research and communication – also in the field of radiation protection. The establishment of the centre in Cottbus is intended to help strengthen the realignment of the Lusatia energy region.

The tasks of the new focal point include regularly assessing the risks of new technologies, developing measurement and protection concepts based on current research, and communicating these to the public.

One example is the "Mayors' consultation hour", which is a digital format open to municipal representatives and decision-makers from all over Germany.

Paulini: Making use of the possibilities of digitalisation

The experts of the KEMF take part in public events on the expansion of the electricity grid or mobile communications – also as part of the dialogue initiative of the Federal Government "Deutschland spricht über 5G" (Germany talks about 5G).

Other focal points of communication are social media and online dialogue formats. "With a view to misinformation and disinformation in online media, proactive risk and science communication is crucial for these future topics. The KEMF will therefore harness the possibilities of digitalisation in order to further develop risk communication in this area", says Paulini.