The Covid-19 pandemic illustrates the tight interconnectedness of our social and economic systems. As communities strive towards a more optimistic future, one core question has emerged: how can the recovery be supported, while at the same time safeguarding our social and economic systems against the future stresses that will inevitably occur? Stabilisation measures are certainly necessary, but they can become permanent and may even obscure the need for deeper and more complex underlying changes. This process may leave economies more rather than less vulnerable, and with less capacity to respond to future shocks.

This inter-disciplinary panel will discuss how to build and manage more resilient systems: ones that placeseconomics in relation to other critical fields, such as the environment, engineering, science and politics. Fundamental uncertainty has to be embraced if we are truly to build capacity to anticipate, absorb, recover from, and adapt to a wide array of systemic threats. Some uncertainties can be managed through pre-emptive buffers, monetary and fiscal policies and government support programmes. Deeper uncertainties require recognition that the social system underpins our economic system, and must have the institutional capacity to respond accordingly.