ISTITUTO AFFARI INTERNAZIONALI

Their core work

IAI is Italy's leading foreign policy think tank, producing independent research and policy analysis on EU integration, security and defence policy, Mediterranean geopolitics, and migration governance. They translate complex geopolitical dynamics into actionable policy recommendations for EU institutions and member state governments. Their work spans scenario-building, foresight studies, and evidence-based assessments of EU external action — from civilian crisis management to space traffic governance. They frequently serve as the analytical backbone in large EU-funded consortia, bridging academic research with real-world policy needs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2015–2018, IAI focused heavily on Mediterranean geopolitics, the Middle East regional order, refugee crises, and EU civilian crisis management capabilities — reflecting the urgency of the Arab Spring aftermath and the European migration crisis. From 2019 onward, their work shifted toward EU internal governance challenges (differentiation, Brexit, integration models) and newer domains like migration prediction tools, digitalisation governance, and space policy. The trajectory shows a think tank evolving from primarily regional security analysis toward systemic EU governance questions and technology-policy intersections.

IAI is broadening from traditional foreign policy analysis into technology governance, digital policy, and space regulation — making them increasingly relevant for consortia tackling the policy dimensions of emerging technologies.

How they like to work

IAI primarily operates as an active consortium partner (15 of 19 projects), but has demonstrated coordination capacity in three projects including MedReset, EU IDEA, and JOINT — all policy-focused. With 202 unique partners across 49 countries, they function as a highly connected hub rather than a repeat-partner organization. This broad network makes them an excellent entry point for building politically diverse EU consortia, especially those requiring policy analysis alongside technical work.

IAI has collaborated with 202 distinct partners across 49 countries, giving them one of the widest networks among European policy research institutes. Their geographic reach extends well beyond the EU into the Middle East, North Africa, and emerging economies.

What sets them apart

IAI occupies a rare niche: a policy think tank with deep EU institutional knowledge that consistently participates in security, technology, and governance research projects. Unlike university departments, they are explicitly oriented toward producing policy-ready analysis rather than academic publications. Their combination of Mediterranean expertise, EU governance depth, and growing technology-policy work makes them uniquely suited for projects that need to translate technical results into policy recommendations for Brussels.

Highlights from their portfolio

• JOINT
  Their largest funded coordination role (EUR 640K), running through 2024, focused on strengthening EU foreign and security policy — represents their flagship institutional capability.
• Reaching out
  Highest single-project funding (EUR 799K) for demonstrating EU large-scale crisis management outside EU borders — their largest technical security engagement.
• EU IDEA
  Coordinated a major study on EU differentiation and integration post-Brexit (EUR 613K) — positioned IAI at the centre of the most consequential EU governance debate of the decade.