The interdisciplinary team is involved in research, teaching, consulting, and continuing education in the areas of crisis, risk, science, and technology communication. iRisCS-Com and the Ilmenau University of Technology are among the most productive research centers for risk and crisis communication in Germany. iRisCS-Com is headed by PD Dr. Andreas Schwarz (IfMK) and counts international scientists and experts from the USA, Norway, Sweden, and Vietnam among its associated members.
Through its work, iRisCS-Com aims not only to further develop research and teaching, but also to make a social contribution to the sustainable protection of civil society from risks and crises, and to promote the perception of science as a core component of democratic and free societies. Current projects deal with the risks of artificial intelligence, sustainable mobility, science communication in space exploration, and warning communication in the event of natural disasters. The research and networking activities of iRisCS-Com have been funded by, among others, the German Research Foundation (DFG); the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR); the COST program and the European Union; the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG); and the Free State of Thuringia/Thuringian Development Bank, in total approximately €10 million since 2020.
The research group was founded in 2002 by Martin Löffelholz at the IfMK and has been jointly managed with Andreas Schwarz since 2006. In 2025, the research group was reorganized under the name iRisCS-Com and has since been headed by Andreas Schwarz. iRisCS-Com is a partner in numerous networks and research associations, such as the WHO Collaborating Centre on Risk Communication, Community Engagement, & Infodemic Management (RCCE-IM); the International Crisis and Risk Communication Association (ICRCA); the COST AlertHub - Warning Communication Knowledge Network; the Thuringian Center for Innovation in Mobility (ThIMo), and the SETI Post-Detection Hub at the University of St. Andrews (UK).
Contact & information: www.tu-ilmenau.de/iriscs-com