Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

Portrait of the Institute

PIK was founded in 1992 and now has a staff of about 150 people, of whom 120 are scientists. The historic buildings of the Institute as well as the high-performance computer are located on Potsdam’s Telegrafenberg campus.

At PIK researchers in the natural and social sciences work together to study global change and its impacts on ecological, economic and social systems. They examine the Earth system’s capacity for withstanding human interventions and devise strategies for a sustainable development of humankind and nature.

PIK research projects are interdisciplinary and undertaken by scientists from the following five departments: Integrated Systems Analysis, Climate System, Natural Systems, Social Systems and Data & Computation.

Through data analysis, computer simulations and models, PIK provides decision makers with sound information and tools for sustainable development. In addition to publishing results in scientific journals the Institute gives advice to national and regional authorities and, increasingly, to global organisations such as the World Bank.

Understanding the Earth system is an important task that no institution or country can tackle alone. PIK closely collaborates with many international partners, including those carrying out measurements in the field, satellite observations or experimental studies. PIK plays an active role in the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the European Climate Forum (ECF). PIK also coordinates a number of large European and national research projects.

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Telegrafenberg A31
14412 Potsdam
Tel: +49 (0)331 / 288 - 2500
Fax: +49 (0)331 / 288 - 2600
E-Mail: pik@pik-potsdam.de

Press releases

Further Information: www.pik-potsdam.de/