The IAI began working on its first studies in the security sector in 1967 with leading European and American research centres. In the 1970s, the scope of these studies increased to include issues faced by the Mediterranean, the Middle East and Africa, as well as those specific to Soviet strategy. In the 1980s, several studies addressing China, Japan and South Asia added further breadth to the experience and direct contacts of IAI staff and researchers. 
From the beginning of the 1990s, with the profound process of revision of national defence policies and the continual changes in the framework of the industrial alliances in the field of defence in Europe and the United States, the issues concerning defence economics has assumed an enormous political and institutional importance. This is particularly true in the European context, where a process of integration of all facets of the entire defence sector has begun, albeit not in a linear manner. The issues fall within the framework of a progressive intensification of the process of creating a European defence within the European Union, which is closely related to other common policies, including industrial and technological policies, and the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).

It is on the basis of these considerations that the program of research, evaluation and information on political and economic aspects of defence has been intensified.

This program also includes the activities of the Security Working Group.

Projects in progress

"Security and defence" Programme

• Observatory on European Defense (V.Briani, A.Marrone)
  The program intends to offer, not merely to a limited number of sectorial scholars and specialists but to a wider public concerned with the general problem of integrating security policy in the European framework, a reliable and easy to consult source of news and comments on this issue. The areas of interest targeted within the general issue are the political, military and institutional profiles of the integration process underway. The Institute's website has a dedicated page which is updated monthly.
  
• Defence economics: tables and graphs  (A.Marrone)
  This document presents the results of the Institute's comparison of the main defence economics parameters in the US and European countries.
  
• Training of experts
  The objective is to single out degree/doctoral candidates who, with our contribution, will write their thesis at the IAI on a designated subject selected amongst security and defence issues.
  
• Relations with the administrations involved in security and defence policy
  Consulting services, also by means of documents and notes written for this specific purpose, in order to upgrade the information the administrations receive regarding the implications of their respective activities in the field of security and defence.
  
• Ad hoc information service for members of parliament on subjects of specific interest to the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate
  The initiative intends to promote quicker training of and access to information by members of parliament, in particular with reference to realization of the new defence model and reform of the armed forces.
  
• Data collection on Italian industry (V.Miranda)
  The programme collects basic data on trends in the main Italian aerospace and defence industries in order to provide a homogeneous picture of the sector, that can be used both nationally and internationally. In this light, support was provided for the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in preparing the part of its Yearbook on industry.

" European Security" Programme 

CRESCENDO (Coordination action on Risks, Evolution of threatS and Context assessment by an Enlarged Network for an r&D rOadmap) 
Responsibles: F.Di Camillo 
Researchers: JP.Darnis, N.Sartori, V.Briani 
Partners: Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA, Coordinator), consortium of European research institutes and security and defence companies 
Sponsor: European Commission - 7th Framework Program 
The project, within the PASR (Preparatory Action for Security Research), intends to create a network of European experts to assess the technological choices for security. The IAI is in charge of developing a network of experts together with institutes from the new Member States.

DEFSEC: Study on industrial implications in Europe of the blurring of dividing lines between Security and Defence
Responsibles: JP.Darnis 
Researchers: V.Briani, S.Mezzadri, M.Nones, N.Sartori, S.Silvestri
Partners: Institut de Relation Internationales et Strategique (IRIS), University of Manchester
Sponsor: European Commission
The study, commissioned by the European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry, aims to analyze the industrial and market implications of the blurring between the concepts of Security and Defence, both at the European level and in Italy, France, Germany and the UK. IAI acts as project leader.

EU-US Security Strategies
Responsibles: JP.Darnis 
Researchers: R.Alcaro, V.Briani, F.Di Camillo, E.Greco, A.Marrone, S.Mezzadri, V.Miranda, M.Nones, N.Sartori, S.Silvestri
Partners: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, Washington), Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS, Paris), The Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI, Stockholm)
Sponsor: European Commission-DG Relex
In this project, lasting 14 months, IAI acts as project leader. The study intends to provide a comparative analysis of the EU-US relationship with regard, in particular, to the definition of the security strategies of both actors, the evolution of their internal security, the security industry in the transatlantic context and the different approaches and perspectives of the respective transatlantic policies. The project includes two series of workshops to be held in Rome, Washington, Paris and Stockholm which involve both researchers of the four partner institutes and external experts. Two final conferences will take place in Washington and Paris in March 2011.

EUROCON (Study on State Control of Strategic Defence Assets)
Responsibles: M.Nones
Researchers: F.Di Camillo, S.Mezzadri
Partners: Manchester Institute of Innovation Research – UNIMAN (Coordinator); consortium of Research Institutes including a law firm with an expertise in Community litigations
Sponsor: European Commission
The research analyses the EU member states’ regimes for the control of the defence strategic assets. It is widely based on interviews to the responsible of the implementation of these regimes. Through the analysis of the pros and cons of the different regulations, the study intends to elaborate a model to ensure a harmonized control at the European level. This optimal model, to be recommended to the European Commission, will take into account various aspects such as the impact on industry, costs incurred as well as the political and legal feasibility.

European Security and Defence Forum
Responsibles: S.Silvestri
Researchers: A.Marrone
IAI is cooperating with Chatham House (The Royal Institute of International Affairs) on the "European Security and Defence Forum", a three-year initiative launched in the UK with the active support of Finmeccanica. The Forum will analyse issues of European security and defence, bringing together the business community, NGOs and defence policy analysts. It will work to promote debate on these topics, draw the attention of academic and non­governmental spheres to defence policy, encourage comparative and interdisciplinary studies and disseminate policy-oriented results to politicians and the public.

G-MOSAIC (GMES services for Management of Operations, Situation Awareness and Intelligence for regional Crises)
Responsibles: JP.Darnis
Researchers: V.Briani, V.Miranda, S.Silvestri
Partners: Telespazio (Coordinator) Consortium of European companies and research institutes with the principal aerospace industries
Sponsor: European Commission
Within the context of the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) initiative for security, G-MOSAIC research project aims at developing services for the provision of geo-spatial information in support to EU external relations and security policies and actions for the prevention and management of external regional crisis.

LIMES (Land/Sea Integrated Monitoring for European Security)
Responsibles: JP. Darnis
Researchers: V.Briani, S.Silvestri
Partners:Telespazio (Coordinator). Consortium of European companies and research institutes with the principal aerospace industries. IAI works in collaboration with the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS, Paris)
Sponsor: European Space Agency (ESA)/European Commission
This programme aims to analyse and develop satellite services for security applications within the framework of the third part of the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) programme for the Security segment.

MAGES (Mature Application of Galileo for Emergency Scenario)
Responsibles: JP.Darnis
Researchers: V.Miranda, S.Silvestri 
Partners: EADS Astrium UK (Coordinator). Consortium of European companies and research institutes 
Sponsor: European GNSS Supervisory Authority (GSA) 
This programme assesses and develop future emergency services for the satellite system GNSS Galileo

SANDERA (The future impact of defence and security on the European Research Area)
Responsibles: A.Marrone
Researchers: JP.Darnis, S.Mezzadri, V.Miranda, S.Silvestri
Partners: Manchester Institute of Innovation Research - UNIMAN (Coordinator), consortium of European research institutes
Sponsor: European Commission
The research project focuses on the future relationship between the European Research Area (ERA) and EU security ad defence policies, analyzing in particular how this latter's development, combined with technological change and the evolution of European science and technology policies could interact and affect the move towards the ERA as well as the 8th Framework Programme priorities.
Flyer

SecureMetro 
Responsibles: F.Di Camillo
Researchers: Prof. R.Mugavero, N.Sartori
Partners: University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Coordinator), consortium of European research institutes and transport and security companies 
Sponsor: EC (FP7)
SecureMetro aims to create an integrated safety and security model for metropolitan transport systems. The project will consider metro vehicles security and resilience performances in situations where an attack using conventional explosives and firebombs takes place, seeking the best combination of materials and structural design in order to minimize the impact of the attack on passengers, staff and infrastructure.

SPEED (Satellite system for Public safEty & sEcurity Domains)
Responsibles: JP.Darnis
Researchers: V.Briani, F.Di Camillo, N.Sartori, S.Silvestri 
Partners: Astrium Satellite (Coordinator), EADS Defense and Security, IAI e KEMEA 
Sponsor: ESA 
The main objective of the project is the definition of an integrated mobile system for communications during public safety and security operations. The system should be able to provide end-users with an integrated satellite and terrestrial communication tool, capable of assuring coverage and effective performances in critical contexts (e.g. lack or destruction of infrastructure).