FUNDACION REAL INSTITUTO ELCANO DE ESTUDIOS INTERNACIONALES Y ESTRATEGICOS

Their core work

Real Instituto Elcano is one of Spain's leading think tanks specializing in international relations, security policy, and European affairs. They produce policy analysis and strategic advice on topics ranging from counter-radicalization and security to EU governance and energy cooperation. In H2020 projects, they contribute political science expertise, policy analysis frameworks, and deep understanding of multilevel EU governance. Their work bridges the gap between academic research and actionable policy recommendations for European decision-makers.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their H2020 trajectory shows a shift from security-focused coordination (MINDb4ACT in 2017, their largest and only coordinated project) toward EU governance and policy integration research (InDivEU, 2019). The early period centered on counter-radicalization and operational security mapping, while recent work emphasizes EU integration processes, multilevel governance, and policy advice. This suggests a broadening from security specialization toward wider European political and institutional analysis.

Moving from security-specific research toward broader EU institutional and governance analysis, making them increasingly relevant for projects examining European policy coherence and differentiated integration.

How they like to work

Their role distribution is unusually balanced — one project as coordinator, one as participant, one as third party — showing flexibility in how they engage with consortia. With 51 unique partners across 23 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia rather than small focused teams. This broad network reflects their think tank nature: they bring policy expertise to many different types of partnerships rather than deep technical collaboration with repeat partners.

Despite only 3 projects, they have connected with 51 partners across 23 countries, indicating participation in large pan-European consortia. Their network spans widely across the EU, consistent with their role as an international affairs institute based in Madrid.

What sets them apart

As a prestigious Spanish foreign policy think tank, Real Instituto Elcano brings something most research centres cannot: high-level strategic and political analysis grounded in real-world policy networks. They are not a technology developer or lab — their value lies in understanding how EU policy, governance structures, and political dynamics shape the environment in which research and innovation operate. For consortium builders, they offer credibility and policy relevance that strengthens the societal impact dimension of any proposal.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MINDb4ACT
  Their only coordinated project and largest budget (EUR 435k), focused on counter-radicalization — an unusual topic for a think tank that demonstrates operational security expertise.
• InDivEU
  Engaged as a third-party expert on EU integration and differentiated governance, reflecting their reputation as a go-to institution for European policy analysis.