The five-member board is composed of representatives from nature conservation, tourism, outdoor sports, and tour portals. This gives the association a broad range of expertise, a deep understanding of stakeholders’ needs, and strong networking capabilities.
During the 6th General Assembly in June 2026, the board was elected for 2 two years
Registered Office Mailing Address
Digitize the Planet e.V.
Kreuzbergstraße 20
10965 Berlin
Mail: mail@digitizetheplanet.org
Tel: +49 151 1542 0423
Mathias Behrens-Egge
Chairperson
Nature sports and outdoor activities are increasingly guided by digital information: digital mapping services, offerings from travel destinations and organizers, tour portals, recommendations, or community input. To avoid complete confusion, it is urgently necessary to structure this data in a customer-oriented way. To prevent conflicts, valid regulations (e.g., access rights, detours, seasonal offerings) should naturally be taken into account. For this, information about these regulations must be readily available. I see a need for action here and am pleased that the association is tackling this issue in a structured and consistent manner.
Mathias Behrens-Egge studied Landscape and Open Space Planning with a focus on Tourism Economics and Regional Development at the University of Hanover (Dipl. Ing.). He is the founder and Managing Partner of BTE since 1989 and has also been a guest lecturer on “Tourism Economics for Planners” at Leibniz University Hanover since 2009. At BTE, he leads the company’s departments for Active and Nature Tourism and Regional Development. His work also focuses on destination development and facilitation.
Since the founding of Digitize the Planet, he has been actively involved . He contriin the boardbutes primarily his experience in tourism and destination development, as well as in active tourism.
Dr. Neele Larondelle
VICe Chairperson
The digital management of visitors is an increasingly challenging task for the administrative bodies of National Natural Landscapes. Rising visitor numbers and the wide variety of (often unchecked) digital offerings make it difficult for visitors to adequately inform themselves about the rules and regulations in place. The goal must be to protect sensitive areas within Germany’s most valuable landscapes while still enabling remarkable nature experiences. Achieving this is only possible through effective information and communication. Building a comprehensive data foundation from a single source is an essential step—and I am glad to have been part of shaping this process with Digitize the Planet from the very beginning.
Neele Larondelle studied Regional Sciences at the University of Potsdam and Natural Resource Management at TU Dresden. After various stays abroad, she completed her Ph.D. at the Chair of Landscape Ecology at Humboldt University in Berlin. In collaboration with The New School in New York City, she researched socio-ecological relationships in urban areas and developed assessment and modeling methods for ecosystem services.
Until 2016, she worked at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, where she studied conflict potential and communication strategies in urban forests as recreational spaces. Since 2016, she has been with Nationale Naturlandschaften e.V., where she leads the Protected Area Management and Conservation department. In January 2020, she was appointed Deputy Managing Director.
Since the founding of Digitize the Planet, she has been actively involved as the Vice Chairperson, giving a voice to the National Natural Landscapes within the organization.
Tilman Sobek
Chairperson + cashier
Tilman Sobek is one of the founders and managing directors of absolutGPS, a company that emerged from the University of Leipzig. absolutGPS is a developer of numerous active tourism concepts, ranging from hiking and touring cycling to mountain biking.
He is also the initiator and founder of the Mountainbike Tourism Forum Germany e.V., which serves as an industry association dedicated to the professionalization of mountain bike tourism in Germany.
Prof. Dr. Manuel Steinbauer
Chairperson
Digital solutions open up new opportunities to further develop nature conservation, land management, and recreational use in tandem. Digital information enables nuanced land-use plans and provides clarity where special consideration is needed, while simultaneously creating open spaces for experiencing nature and participating in outdoor sports. In this way, nature conservation, land management, and recreation can be better coordinated, fostering joint solutions that benefit nature, land use, and the outdoor experience in equal measure.
Manuel Steinbauer is a professor of biogeography and sports ecology at the University of Bayreuth. His research focuses on the interactions between human use, outdoor sports, and ecological systems, as well as on how data and digitalization can contribute to a better understanding of landscapes and to the sustainable management of natural and recreational areas.
Within the association, he is committed to reducing the burden on land managers, better informing those who use nature, and further developing Digitize the Planet on an international level. The goal is to use digitalization to make the various demands for land use and conservation more accessible, understandable, and easier to coordinate.
