The time has come: PIK’s strategic expansion will take place at the turn of the year

By combining two institutes with excellent reputations, and systematically expanding the outstanding scientific research, it will be possible to explore the full spectrum of governing the global commons within planetary boundaries. In addition to integrating MCC (as the fifth research department on “Climate Economics and Policy”), the new funding will enable the development of additional capacities on three topics: Earth Resilience, Machine Learning, and Inequality and Well-being. In addition, a “Policy Unit” will be established at the board level, with responsibility for the science–policy interface.

Following the successful application for an increase in the core budget, the Potsdam Institute will now receive an additional basic funding of around 3.8 million euros per year on a permanent basis. This is the first core budget increase in its 33-year history, and it will serve to strategically expand the institute. “This is an expression of the trust that politicians have in PIK’s development prospects,” says Manja Schüle, Minister for Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg. “The climate crisis is a global challenge of existential importance. I am very grateful – and a bit proud – that PIK's research is valued worldwide. We are delighted by this further boost to Brandenburg’s science credentials.”

Stiftung Mercator and the Potsdam Institute jointly founded MCC in 2012. “After a good 12 years of generous support from Stiftung Mercator, MCC’s success story will now continue within a strong network,” says PIK Director and MCC founding director Ottmar Edenhofer. “We are very grateful to the Joint Science Conference of the German federal and state governments for making this possible. MCC is home to high-level economic and social science research related to the climate crisis, providing policymakers with options for action. This will be even more powerful in the future thanks to the combined knowledge at the Potsdam Institute.”

Johan Rockström, also PIK Director, sees this as strengthening the institute in the right places at the right time. “Politicians deserve thanks and respect for this bold and far-sighted course-setting. The climate crisis is becoming increasingly complex and requires decisive action more urgently than ever – and we are being given the opportunity to take a strategic step towards even stronger integration across physical and social sciences, and provide even more policy relevant scientific results. Raising ourselves to a new level of inter-disciplinary capacity, and strengthening our interface to policymakers, we will work even harder to provide the best science that combines Earth system risks, climate impacts and paths to scalable solutions.”

The Potsdam Institute staff body will increase from around 400 to around 480 as a result of the expansion. “This is the largest organisational change and expansion in the institute’s history,” emphasises Bettina Hörstrup, Administrative Director of PIK. “The integration of MCC Berlin, and the further growth enabled by the additional institutional funding, had to be organised professionally. Our administrative and management staff have worked intensively over the year, dealing with the practical aspects of everyday work to the tricky legal aspects of a company transition, allowing the scientists to devote their full energy to research and policy dialogue.”