Introduction This book includes terms of reference and offers an
augmented volume of relevant work initiated within the comprehensive
concept of "Knowledge Management and Risk Governance". The latter stood
for the initial title of an ad-hoc meeting held in Ascona, Switzerland,
organized by the Technological Risk Management Unit of the Joint
Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) and the KOVERS Centre
of Excellence in Risk and Safety Sciences of the Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology, ETH Zurich. Background Risk governance, in addition to
the continuous interest of researchers, has recently attracted the
attention of policy-makers and the media and the concern of the public.
New and emerging risks in various fields and a number of risk-related
issues increased the public interest and prompted for a new framework in
dealing with risks. The Conference on Science and Governance organized
by the European Commission in October 2000 is one of the international
forums addressing this issue. Other recent events such as the
establishment of the International Risk Governance Council outline the
importance of the governance concept in relation to that of risk
management (see www.irgc.org). At the same time noticeable progress has
been made in Information Technologies and Decision Support, passing from
the process of information PREFACE xvi to the process of knowledge. In
this context new tools and methods became available, whose application
in risk management may be beneficial.
