24 June 2014

IIASA enhances cooperation with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre 

A delegation from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) visited IIASA on 26 June and agreed to enhance collaboration between the two organizations. The visit followed a high-level event in Vienna on the Scientific Support to the Danube Strategy, at which IIASA Director General and CEO, Professor Dr. Pavel Kabat gave a keynote speech.

Danube flood (c) Peter Gudella Shutterstock

Danube flood (c) Peter Gudella Shutterstock

As the European Commission’s in-house science service, the JRC provides EU policies with independent, evidence based scientific and technical support. On 26 June, the delegation, consisting of department heads from a range of the JRC’s institutes, meet with Professor Dr. Pavel Kabat, Director General and CEO of IIASA, and the directors of IIASA’s nine research programs. 

Nebojsa Nakicenovic, IIASA Deputy Director General and Deputy CEO presented the institute's recent work in the field of energy and climate change and explained how the IIASA coordinated 2012 Global Energy Assessment has provided the basis for the three objectives for the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. 

Markus Amann, Program Director, Mitigation of Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases (MAG) Program, talked about the existing beneficial relationship between IIASA and the JRC over the last 20 years, and how the two organizations can move forward to continue to bridge the gap between science and policy. Amann also gave a presentation on how the IIASA Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model has provided a framework for the analysis of co-benefits of reduction strategies from air pollution and greenhouse gas sources. The EU commission has used the GAINS model as the scientific tool to analyze new measures as part of a new clean air policy package announced in December 2013.  Using GAINS, policymakers were able to examine the costs and benefits of every available air pollution control measure.

In addition, representatives from IIASA's other research programs gave short overviews on their latest research. The group discussed synergies between the two organizations, particularly on how IIASA's unique position as a truly independent international organization can aid the JRC's aspirations to expand its work globally. Vladimír Šucha, Director-General of the Joint Research Centre praised IIASA's approach and called for greater interaction at all levels of both organizations, this includes a series of workshops to be coordinated by IIASA and the JRC, and exploration of the establishment of a "Science to Policy" academy to join capacity building efforts.

The JRC’s visit to IIASA followed a meeting on 12 June, where Kabat presented IIASA’s work to the Board of Governors of the JRC during a meeting hosted by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research, and Economy for research institutes and academia in Austria.  

IIASA has a longstanding relationship with the JRC, and has collaborated on a multitude of issues, including the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR). Launched in 2011, the EUSDR aims to boost the development of the Danube Region. The macro-regional strategy relies on an integrated approach to encourage better policy development and the alignment of funding and resources through concrete actions and projects, resulting in a more efficient and better balanced implementation of the EU's overall objectives under Europe 2020. 

The JRC initiative "Scientific Support to the Danube Strategy” aims to address the scientific needs related to the implementation of the strategy and to strengthen the scientific cooperation it the Danube Region, and a high-level event in Vienna on 24-25 June aimed to address synergies in economic, environmental or social issues with a multilateral dimension.

Kabat joined Vladimír Šucha, Director-General of the Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Reinhold Mitterlehner, Austrian Federal Minister of Science, Research and Economy, Christos Vasilakos, Greek Secretary General for Research and Technology, and Walter Deffaa, Director-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission in the opening key-note plenary session of this high level event to present concrete examples of scientific support, and discuss the needs of decision-makers for more evidence-based policy making.


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Last edited: 28 October 2015

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