Peter Klimek
Photo by Zita Koever
Research Assistant
Medical University of Vienna
Spitalgasse 23
1090 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 40160 36255
Fax: +43 1 40160 950510
E-Mail: peter.klimek@meduniwien.ac.at
CV | Publications | Talks | Projects
Peter Klimek is a post-doctoral researcher at the Section for Science of Complex Systems. Employing a wide angle, his central research objective is to gain understanding and predictive added value from the complex systems relevant for us in our every day life, including the flow of media information we are exposed to and the economic activities we participate in. His work focuses on developing and applying concepts from network science, complexity theory and statistical physics to diverse fields such as economic development, public media reception, political institutions and biodiversity. Sample results of him include how a country's political well-being depends on the composition of its cabinet, how economies prosper through innovative and complex products replacing older ones in cascades of creative destruction and how breaking news may shake us just like earthquakes. His scientific results have been used to formulate innovation strategies for the Finnish and Scottish economy, to develop automated detection and monitoring systems for emerging and systemic risks, and to model the socio-economic impact of new technologies. He obtained his PhD in theoretical physics in 2010 and his master in 2007 in quantum information. His work attracted broad media interest and was featured on various BBC programs (Radio 5, Scotland, World Service), Austrian Radios OE1 and FM4, magazines like Nature News, New Scientist and PhysicsWorld, newspapers include Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Berliner Morgenpost and Moscow Times.
Besides academia he developed, produced and presented a documentary/talk show on Austrian TV network Okto.