Page - 4 - in options, Volume winter 2021

News in brief Pioneering IIASA research on climate change since the 1970s has played a key role in contributing to the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - the leading global body for the assessment of climate change, its impacts, and response options. IPCC publications provide decision makers with a clear and scientific view on the current state of knowledge of climate change and its potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Through its continued investment and leadership in interdisciplinary and integrated research, IIASA publications provide rich material for the assessment reports and its scientists are well positioned to provide expertise in deciphering the large and complex challenge that is climate change. It is this recognition that has resulted in numerous IIASA scientists being enlisted as coordinating lead authors, lead authors, and reviewers of IPCC publications over the years. The institute continues its tradition of involvement in the IPCC’s work in the upcoming Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). The report will be a comprehensive assessment of the science related to climate change and will inform policymakers, international climate negotiators, and other stakeholders around the world. In total, 721 authors, including several IIASA researchers have been selected from 2,858 experts representing 105 countries, who were nominated by governments and IPCC observer organizations. IIASA was also represented at several events during the 2021 UN Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, including at least two side events co-organized by IIASA. © P la tf o r m V a lu e N o w Informing global climate policy The Digital Revolution has changed the way businesses operate since its adoption in the latter half of the 20th century. Now, digital platforms are changing the way we do business, offering a resilience previously unseen in an uncertain world. The essence of a digital platform like Airbnb is to enable connections between producers and consumers, letting people take on both roles to become “prosumers”. A successful platform allows multi-sided interactions and gathers a sort of ecosystem of businesses around it. Funded by the Finnish Strategic Research Council, IIASA teamed up with five other research institutions in the Platform Value Now project. The project aimed to understand the shift from traditional business models to fast emerging platform economic ecosystems and analyzed them to develop efficient methods and tools for platform-centric economic ecosystems management. The project also investigated the resilience of digital ecosystems in light of unexpected events like COVID-19 and the recent Suez Canal blockage, which are a stark reminder of how events can derail society and businesses, especially in an interconnected global economy. “We never know what will happen next. That is why we must build resilience. An ecosystem is much more resilient than an individual company,” explains Leena Ilmola-Sheppard, IIASA Guest Emeritus Research Scholar. “Rapid technology development can add future uncertainty, but a decentralized diverse platform ecosystem can provide resilience when resources are strained, or a new threat emerges.” Digital platforms offer new resilience Leena Ilmola-Sheppard: ilmola@iiasa.ac.at Further info: www.iiasa.ac.at/news/21-platform Further info: www.iiasa.ac.at/ipcc | www.iiasa.ac.at/events/21-COP26 Iain Stewart: stewart@iiasa.ac.at By Ansa Heyl By Neema Tavakolian  4 Options www.iiasa.ac.atWinter 2021