Research

Research programmes

Research centers

Cross-cutting themes

Projects

Water Cooperation and Peace - Finnish Water Way

Water Cooperation and Peace - Finnish Water Way

FIIA is partnering with the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) in the project “Water Cooperation and Peace – Finnish Water Way”, funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and Ministry of the Environment. The project started in 2021 and will continue until 2024.Water diplomacy refers to the prevention and resolution of political tensions over water and its use through methods drawing from both water expertise and diplomatic tools. In an era marked by climate change, geopolitical tension, economic crisis and various other global developments,...
NATO nuclear deterrence and its implications for Finland

NATO nuclear deterrence and its implications for Finland

The Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) and Tampere University are conducting a research project titled “NATO nuclear deterrence and its implications for Finland.” The project is a part of the Finnish Government’s 2023 analysis, assessment, and research activities (VN-TEAS) and will conclude in December 2023.The war of aggression launched by Russia in February 2022 put nuclear deterrence and the possible use of nuclear weapons at the forefront of international security.During 2022, nuclear weapons issues have also been placed on the agenda of Finland's foreign and security...
Superregionalism and Contentious Connectivity in Asia

Superregionalism and Contentious Connectivity in Asia

The research project will analyse the role of connectivity in Asia, broadly in the Indo-Pacific region, and its linkages with security, economy and (sustainable) development.In an era of Great-Power contestation, economy, security and development policy are increasingly intertwined. This is particularly clear in the field of connectivity, which is strongly associated with the building of infrastructure, but also heavily securitized, imbued with geopolitics, and linked to (sustainable) development.The research project approaches Asia as a superregion, i.e., a region defined by various functional and...
Transforming strategic cultures in contemporary Europe

Transforming strategic cultures in contemporary Europe

Strategic shifts in great power politics and steps in European defence integration have led since the mid-2010s to a notable increase of events and activities aimed at the development of a joint strategic culture. The research project Transforming strategic cultures in contemporary Europe: Towards an understanding of reasons, intermediaries and processes of change (STRAX), analyses change in strategic cultures in Europe by combining in innovative ways academic research, policy-analysis and professional military education and pedagogy.The Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) conducts...
Global Politics of the Energy Transition

Global Politics of the Energy Transition

The project “Global Politics of the Energy Transition” investigates the fundamental transformations that are taking place in energy systems, with a focus on their significance in terms of security, climate change, economy and great power relations.Spurred by the effects of climate change, the war in Ukraine and growing geopolitical competition, policies supporting the energy transition have gained both importance and speed. “Green Deals” and climate neutrality targets have been put forward in numerous countries, including all advanced economies, even if timeframes and strategies vary...