Taiwan Center, Hereon Renew Climate Research Pact
Taiwan's National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction and Germany's Hereon extend their disaster-risk and climate collaboration for five years.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Safety
Hereon and Taiwan's National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR) signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding during a delegation visit to Hereon in late October 2026. The agreement extends the NCDR-GERICS collaboration, which has run since 2018, for five years.
Why it matters
The partnership combines NCDR's disaster prevention and risk management expertise with Hereon/GERICS work in climate research, modelling and data analysis. Both sides aim to make scientific knowledge usable for addressing climate change impacts and building more resilient societies.
The renewed agreement runs five years, extending a partnership that began in 2018. The specific projects and deliverables under the new term have not yet been detailed.
The players
Hereon
Hereon is a German research center in Geesthacht, near Hamburg, focused on coastal, climate and materials research.
National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR)
NCDR is Taiwan's national center for disaster prevention, science and technology, and risk management.
GERICS
GERICS, the Climate Service Center Germany, is Hereon's institute that develops climate services and prototype products for decision-makers.
The details
The collaboration focuses on extreme weather events, cascading and compound climate risks, high-resolution climate and risk data, and the use of artificial intelligence in climate research. GERICS develops scientifically based prototype products and services for decision-makers, public administration and society.
Timeline
2018: NCDR and Hereon begin collaborating.
Late October 2026: NCDR delegation visits Hereon and signs the renewed MoU.
Over the next five years: the renewed collaboration period runs.
Big Picture
The agreement extends GERICS's model of turning climate science into decision-ready services, now applied with Taiwan's disaster-reduction agency. It follows a collaboration that has operated since 2018 on extreme weather and compound climate risk.
The agreement is primarily an institutional research partnership, so its direct effects on the public are not yet defined. Readers in disaster-prone regions may see its outputs over time as climate and risk tools reach decision-makers.
The takeaway
Combining disaster-management practice with climate modelling is one way research institutions aim to turn data into usable guidance for communities facing compound climate risks.
Further reading
Explore more on Safety to see how climate and disaster-risk research is applied to public protection.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hereon.
