AUSTRIA INSTITUT FUR EUROPA- UND SICHERHEITSPOLITIK (AIES)

Their core work

AIES is an Austrian policy think tank focused on European affairs and security policy. Their core work involves analyzing EU security institutions, assessing operational capabilities in conflict zones, and examining how Europe manages large-scale threats and crises beyond its borders. In H2020, they contributed as a policy research partner — bringing institutional knowledge of EU security architecture into applied research consortia. They are not technical builders; they provide the political analysis and policy context that grounds security-sector projects in real-world EU operational realities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both H2020 projects started within a year of each other (2015–2016), so a clean chronological evolution is hard to establish. That said, IECEU addressed the more institutional question of EU conflict prevention capabilities, while Reaching out moved toward the operational and market dimensions of disaster response — introducing terms like "market" alongside preparedness and response. The shift, modest as it is, suggests a movement from pure capability assessment toward understanding the civilian and commercial ecosystem around crisis management outside Europe.

AIES appears to be broadening from institutional capability analysis toward the operational and market-facing dimensions of EU external crisis management — a direction that may position them for future projects linking civil protection, external action, and industry.

How they like to work

AIES has participated in two projects without ever taking the coordinator role, which is consistent with a think tank that provides specialized policy input rather than leading technical execution. Despite only two projects, they accumulated 36 unique partners across 17 countries — suggesting they joined well-networked, large international consortia rather than small working groups. This points to an organization that is sought out as a policy voice in broad research teams, not a consortium builder in its own right.

AIES has worked with 36 unique partners across 17 countries — a broad footprint for an organization with only two projects. This reflects participation in large, multi-country security research consortia typical of the H2020 Security pillar (CSA and IA funding schemes).

What sets them apart

AIES occupies a specific niche as an Austrian think tank with dual expertise in EU institutional affairs and external security policy — a combination that is rare among purely technical security research partners. For consortia working on EU crisis management, peacekeeping, or external action projects, AIES brings the policy credibility and institutional knowledge that academic or engineering partners typically cannot provide. Their Austrian base also gives them practical access to EU and international organizations headquartered in Vienna, including OSCE and IAEA.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Reaching out
  Addressed EU-led large-scale crisis management outside EU territory, notable for introducing market and disaster preparedness framing alongside traditional security policy themes.
• IECEU
  The larger of the two projects (EUR 213,250 EC contribution), focused on assessing and improving EU conflict prevention capabilities — a core topic directly aligned with AIES's institutional identity.