CENTRE D'INFORMACIO I DOCUMENTACIO INTERNACIONALS A BARCELONA

Their core work

CIDOB is a Barcelona-based international affairs think tank that produces policy-relevant research on geopolitics, migration, European integration, and climate security. They specialize in mapping regional power dynamics (particularly the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa), analyzing EU foreign and security policy, and studying migration governance. Their work bridges academic research and policymaking, providing evidence-based analysis that informs EU institutional debates on asylum, integration, and external action.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), CIDOB focused heavily on MENA geopolitics, regional security, and conflict analysis — projects like MENARA and MedReset centered on Middle East power dynamics, refugees, and non-state actors. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward EU internal governance challenges: migration narratives, differentiated integration (Brexit, EMU), climate-security linkages, and immigrant integration in smaller communities. This evolution reflects a move from studying external regional instability to examining how those pressures reshape European institutions and societies from within.

CIDOB is increasingly positioning itself at the intersection of migration policy, climate security, and EU institutional reform — expect future work connecting these three domains.

How they like to work

CIDOB operates primarily as a participant (9 of 12 projects) in large Research and Innovation Actions, but they step into the coordinator role for projects that sit squarely in their core expertise — MENARA (MENA geopolitics), RE-DEV (energy transition), and BRIDGES (migration narratives). With 108 unique consortium partners across 35 countries, they function as a well-connected hub rather than a repeat-partner organization, making them a versatile addition to new consortia in international affairs and policy research.

CIDOB has built a wide network of 108 unique partners across 35 countries, reflecting their pan-European and Mediterranean research scope. Their geographic reach extends well beyond Spain, with strong connections across EU member states and the MENA region.

What sets them apart

CIDOB occupies a distinctive niche as a Southern European think tank that connects Mediterranean and MENA regional expertise with EU policy analysis — a combination few research centers offer from a single institution. Their ability to coordinate projects on migration narratives and geopolitical mapping while contributing to climate-security and EU integration research makes them unusually versatile. For consortium builders, they bring strong policy communication skills, deep networks in both EU institutions and Mediterranean civil society, and a track record of translating complex geopolitical analysis into actionable policy recommendations.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BRIDGES
  Their largest project (EUR 766K) as coordinator, studying how migration narratives shape policymaking — represents their most mature expertise area.
• MENARA
  Coordinated a comprehensive mapping of MENA geopolitical shifts involving regional order, conflicts, and non-state actors — their signature geopolitics project.
• CASCADES
  Marks CIDOB's entry into climate-security research, analyzing how cascading climate risks affect foreign policy, finance, and supply chains across Europe.