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Article | WTW Research Network Newsletter

WTW Research Network Annual Review 2024

By Hélène Galy | July 12, 2024

Our annual overview of how WTW is applying leading-edge research to support a smarter way to risk across industries.
Aerospace|Climate|Crisis Management||Willis Research Network
Climate Risk and Resilience

While we embrace the complexity of science, the WTW Research Network (WRN) strives to identify and communicate key risk insights in a simple and relevant way, to support risk management and strategy decisions. We hope that the overview of our research portfolio, and the industry-specific examples provide a clear view of the risk topics we are focusing on and that something grabs your attention.

The breadth of our research topics gives an idea of our concern about the current state of the world:

  1. alongside a range of geohazards, all aspects of climate change, not just acute physical risks but also relentless chronic risks, and not just physical risks but also climate transition risks and climate change’s impact on water and food security;
  2. the gray zone between war and peace (which challenges corporate geopolitical neutrality);
  3. trust in technology;
  4. vulnerabilities of supply chains;
  5. growing regulatory emphasis on emerging risks; and
  6. our belief that organizational resilience needs to complement the traditional risk view.

Despite our progress since 2006, we are all too aware of the remaining “knowledge–action” gap, which is pushing leading scientists to civil disobedience, to get their voices heard. The words of Russian-American biochemist and science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov ring particularly true these days: “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”

This is a reminder that the aim of our research portfolio is not merely to turn science into useable data and information that feeds into risk models, but also to use our improved yet imperfect knowledge wisely. Wise usage of scientific knowledge is critical for public understanding and sound policy/strategy for today’s key challenges — from human health to climate action to food security. More than ever, the researchers who make up the WTW Research Network are eager to understand how their work interacts with the real economy and how they can lend their expertise to a more resilient future for all.

We extend our renewed thanks to all our research partners for keeping the faith in the power of applying science, and to our enthusiastic WTW Research Network team and curious colleagues, without whom we could not bridge the knowledge–action gap. It is a privilege to work with so many talented people and harness their innovation to support lives, livelihoods and assets in the volatile decade we are in.

Author

Head of People Risks Research,
Managing Director of WTW Research Network
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