Risikoart

Risikoart is a term used in risk management to describe a category or type of risk. In German-speaking contexts, it serves to structure the risk landscape by grouping individual risks according to their source, nature, or effect. Classifying risks into risikoarten supports targeted assessment and mitigation.

Common risikoarten include financial risks (credit, liquidity), operational risks (process failures, supply-chain disruptions), technological risks (cybersecurity, system outages), legal and compliance risks (regulatory breaches, contract risks), reputational risks (negative publicity), environmental and health risks (accidents, emissions), and market risks (price or demand fluctuations). Some frameworks distinguish internal risks from external risks.

Assessment of risikoarten typically follows a risk-management cycle: identify risks and assign them to a risikoart, estimate probability and impact, and prioritize them in a risk register. Treatment options align with the type, such as avoiding or reducing financial risk, transferring risk through insurance, or accepting residual risk after controls.

Applications include use in corporations, banks, public institutions, and project management. The concept supports governance, reporting, and decision-making and can be aligned with international guidelines and standards for risk management.

Origin and usage: The term derives from German, combining Risiko with Art. In practice, risikoarten are often discussed alongside similar terms such as Risikokategorien or Risikotypen.