International Risk Governance Council

Name

International Risk Governance Council

Legal name

International Risk Governance Council

Website

https://irgc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Risk Governance Policy Research

NAICS

International Affairs (928120), National Security and International Affairs (9281)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability, ESG & Climate Risk Advisory (BPAHAJAH), ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ)

Keywords

• Risk governance research
• Emerging risk policy
• Systemic risk advisory
• Regulatory framework consulting
• Multi-stakeholder dialogue

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) was an independent non-profit foundation that developed and disseminated the IRGC Risk Governance Framework, along with publications, expert workshops, and international conferences to help governments, regulators, international organizations, and researchers understand and improve the governance of emerging and systemic risks. Its core deliverable was knowledge and policy guidance rather than a commercial product, covering domains such as climate engineering, cybersecurity, space debris, synthetic biology, precision medicine, nanotechnology, and critical infrastructures.

Product overview

The International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) was an independent non-profit foundation (active until 2023) focused on improving the management of emerging and systemic risks. Rather than a commercial software product company, IRGC's offerings consisted of knowledge products and services: publications (reports, white papers, policy briefs, concept notes), expert workshops, international conferences, and a risk governance framework. These outputs addressed risk governance across diverse domains including climate engineering, digitalisation/cybersecurity, space debris, synthetic biology, precision medicine, nanotechnology, energy, and critical infrastructures. From 2015, activities were organized by the International Risk Governance Center at EPFL. The foundation is now closed with assets transferred to PSI LEA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IRGC Risk Governance Framework
• Risk Governance Publications
• Expert Workshops
• International Conferences
• Governmental Forum on Risk Governance

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Risk Governance Center at EPFLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom 2015, organized IRGC activities and hosted the center for risk governance research and coordination. EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) served as the primary institutional host for IRGC's work.
• Paul Scherrer Institut, Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis (PSI LEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssets of IRGC were transferred to PSI LEA upon the foundation's closure in 2023. PSI LEA continues IRGC's mission-related work.
• University College London (UCL STEaPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint conference organizer for the International Conference on Planning Adaptive Risk Regulation (2016). UCL's Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy collaborated on risk governance research.
• EPFL Space Center (eSpace)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on space debris risk governance project starting in 2021.
• Space InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with IRGC on space debris governance project.
• Tsinghua UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing international conferences and workshops on risk governance, including the 2013 conference on 'From Crisis Management to Risk Governance'. Hosted IRGC China launch.
• Swiss RecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor and supporter of IRGC activities including conferences and workshops on risk governance topics.
• OECDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on workshops including Social Media and Crisis Communication (2012); continued IRGC's Governmental Forum through OECD High-Level Risk Forum.
• EPFL Transport Center (TRACE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized expert workshop on Risk and Opportunity Governance of Autonomous Cars (2016).
• Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI) at Kyoto UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched project on Maritime Global Critical Infrastructure risk governance in 2009.
• Sustainable Transport Division, UNECEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized session on adaptive regulation for autonomous vehicle markets at 2016 conference.
• Dutch Delta ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized session on adaptive flood risk governance at 2016 conference.
• OECD Working Party on bio-nano-converging technology (WP BNCT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized session on synthetic biology at 2016 conference.
• Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned IRGC to produce 'International Governance Issues on Climate Engineering' report in 2020.
• Institute on Applied Sustainability Science (IASS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on low-carbon transition risk workshop in September 2020.
• Institute for Advance Sustainability Studies (IASS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized expert workshop on Applying IRGC Concepts and Instruments for Risk Governance in Potsdam (2016).
• Swiss Re Centre for Global DialogueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized Second Governmental Forum on Risk Governance (2009) and expert workshops on unconventional gas development.
• King's College Centre for Risk ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly organized panel on unconventional gas development opportunities, challenges, and risks (2014).
• Carnegie Mellon UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner through Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program; Granger Morgan (CMU) served as Chair of IRGC's Scientific and Technical Council.
• Massachusetts Institute of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenneth Oye (MIT) served on IRGC's Scientific and Technical Council; collaborated on synthetic biology and precision medicine governance.
• Marsh & McLennan CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain partner for cyber security risk governance workshop (2015).
• Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported workshops on precision medicine governance.
• Swiss Personalized Health Network (SPHN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported precision medicine trust workshop (2017).
• Horizon 2020 (EU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRGC was partner in NANORIGO project (2019-2022), developing Nanotechnology Risk Governance Framework.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Large, long-standing policy research organization producing independent risk and governance analysis for governments; comparable as an interdisciplinary think tank influencing regulatory and policy frameworks on emerging risks.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Independent policy institute producing research and convening international stakeholders on global risks including climate, cyber, and emerging technology — comparable as a neutral multi-stakeholder convening organization.
• OECD (High-Level Risk Forum & policy work): Intergovernmental policy organization that absorbed IRGC's Governmental Forum on Risk Governance as the OECD High-Level Risk Forum; produces cross-domain risk governance recommendations directly comparable to IRGC's policy output.
• World Economic Forum (Global Risks Initiative): Publishes the influential annual Global Risks Report and convenes public-private risk dialogues. Comparable as a multi-stakeholder platform producing frameworks and rankings of systemic risks for governments and corporates.

Direct peers

• Paul Scherrer Institut — Laboratory for Energy Systems Analysis: Swiss federal research laboratory that received IRGC's assets and mission-related work in 2023; comparable as the institutional successor that continues risk-governance research tied to energy transitions, climate engineering, and systemic risk.
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA): Intergovernmental research organization based in Austria producing systems-analysis and risk-assessment work across energy, climate, and technological risk — directly comparable in mission, multi-stakeholder governance, and publications.
• Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) — Potsdam: Helmholtz-affiliated institute where IRGC council member Ortwin Renn is based; conducts transdisciplinary research on risk governance, sustainability transitions, and emerging-technology assessment with similar neutral-convening posture.
• EPFL International Risk Governance Center: EPFL-hosted centre that organized IRGC's activities from 2015 onward; directly comparable as a research group producing risk-governance frameworks, workshops, and publications across emerging-tech domains.
• Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies: University of Cambridge research centre focused on systemic risk modeling and governance; comparable as an academic risk-governance research hub producing frameworks, reports, and convening events for policymakers and industry.
• Society for Risk Analysis (SRA): International scholarly society (Ortwin Renn served as SRA International President) advancing risk analysis and risk governance; comparable as a member-driven convening body producing publications and conferences on emerging risk.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Risk Governance Council