NEWS Researchers from Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics (USBE) at Umeå University and Imperial College London have received continued support for their collaboration on the economics of infectious diseases. A new grant from Handelsbanken will enable a fourth international workshop and support the continued development of an interdisciplinary research network focused on the economic, behavioural, and policy dimensions of infectious disease prevention and control.
The participants at the workshop on the Economics of Pandemic Preparedness 2026.
ImagePrivateThe collaboration, led by Professor Giovanni Forchini at USBE and Professor Katharina Hauck at Imperial College London's Jameel Institute, provides an important bridge between econometrics, economics, epidemiology and public health. Through the annual workshop on the Economics of Pandemic Preparedness, the partnership supports the development of a wider interdisciplinary network focused on understanding how societies can better prepare for infectious disease threats.
The third workshop on the topic, held in Stockholm in June 2026, brought together researchers from economics, epidemiology and policy to examine preparedness as a whole-of-system challenge. Discussions highlighted the importance of accounting for differences in vulnerability and transmission, integrating behaviour and public trust into epidemic models, and strengthening the links between data, modelling and real-time policy decisions.
A central conclusion was that preparedness should be viewed not simply as a cost, but as a long-term economic investment in surveillance, diagnostics, vaccines, health-system capacity and institutional resilience.
– One outcome has been funding for postdoctoral researchers at both Umeå University and Imperial College London. Our postdoctoral researcher at Umeå University has since moved on to a permanent position, which we see as a positive outcome. The collaboration has also continued to strengthen the connection between Umeå University and Imperial College London, demonstrating the value of bringing together researchers across institutions and disciplines while building a shared programme for future research and policy engagement, says Forchini.
– Infectious disease prevention and control are inherently multidisciplinary challenges. Economists can contribute by analysing behaviour, incentives, resource allocation, and the wider effects of disease and public-health interventions. By combining these perspectives with expertise from epidemiology and public health, we can develop a more comprehensive understanding of how societies can prevent, manage, and respond to infectious disease threats”, says Forchini.
Building on the success of the first three workshops, the newly awarded funding from Handelsbanken will support a fourth workshop and allow the Umeå-Imperial collaboration to continue to grow. The funding will help deepen its international and interdisciplinary links and advance practical research on how societies can prepare more effectively for future pandemics and other major outbreaks.
Next workshop is planned to June 2027.
