Institut Symlog de France (SYMLOG)

Institut Symlog de France is a small private structure listed in the CNRS guide to independent research
laboratories
in the social sciences. Founded in 1982, Symlog has since 1984 conducted research and intervention in the
area of
technological and natural risks.
Symlog performs studies for large French and international institutions (e.g., French Ministries of Defense and
Environment, ADEME, IRSN, EdF, ANDRA, EC-DG10&12, OECD-NEA, US NAS-NRC, Sloane Foundation, Center of
Technology Assessment in Baden-Württemburg). Field studies include action research to improve safety
culture in
nuclear and industrial installations, analysis of public communication in risk management, study of public risk
perceptions, evaluation of institutional risk regulation systems and governance. Methods include scenario
development and stakeholder workshop (participative assessment, analysis and decision), interviews
(individual or
focus groups), content analysis, and surveys. Experience covers a wide range of issues: Human impact of
military
robotized systems into Operations (DGA/ETAS) ; Impacts of sea level rise and coastal vulnerabilities
(BRGM/ANR) ;
Safety exercises for industrial plants and road/rail tunnels (Ministry of Environment/Mines ParisTech) ;
Methodological support (French Nuclear Agency: ASN).
Marc Poumadère is the founding director of Institut Symlog. Former Associate Professor at Ecole Normale
Supérieure
de Cachan, he has directed doctoral thesis on security at both the organizational and societal levels.
Poumadère
was named Fellow of the Society for Risk Analysis in 2002 (sra.org).
Recent work published in: Risk Analysis ; Climatic Change ; Radioprotection.