Prof. Dr. Daniel Fiott is Head of the Defence and Statecraft Programme at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). At CSDS, Professor Fiott researches most aspects of European defence policy with an emphasis on defence industrial policy, capability development and defence innovation. Professor Fiott is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Real Instituto Elcano, where he analyses defence industrial issues. Daniel was educated at the University of Cambridge. His PhD from the VUB, which was supported by the Research Foundation – Flanders (fwo), focused on EU defence-industrial politics. He is the author of Defence Industrial Cooperation in the EU: The State, the Firm and Europe and is widely published with leading journals. Professor Fiott previously held positions with the EU Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), the University of Kent and various think tanks.
Selected Research
“The Three Images of EU Strategic Autonomy: Perspectives on Wedging, Binding and Hedging”, Journal of European Integration, 47(6) (2025): 825-842.
“Player and Playground: Europe in US-China Competition Journal of European Integration, 47(6) (2025): 785-803 – with Simón, L.
“Space”, in Lucarelli, S. and Sperling, J. (eds.) The Handbook of European Union Governance (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2025): 515-526.
“From Liberalisation to Industrial Policy: A Geoeconomic Turn in the European Defence Market?”, Journal of Common Market Studies, 62(4) (2024): 1012-1027.
“The Challenges of Defence Spending in Europe”, Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, 59(4) (2024): 189-192.
“In Every Crisis an Opportunity? European Union Integration in Defence and the War on Ukraine”, Journal of European Integration, 45(3) (2023): 447-462.
“Article 173 TFUE – L’industrie européenne de la défense”, in Bernard, E., Loïez, Q. and Rodrigues, S. (eds.) L’Union européenne de la défense: Commentaire article par article (Brussels: Larcier Intersentia, 2024): 559-577.
“Strategic Competition: Toward a Genuine Step-Change for Europe’s Defence Industry?”, The Economics of Peace and Security Journal, 18(1) (2023): 7-17.
“Europe and the South: The Maritime Dimension”, Revue Confluences Méditerranée, 123(4) (2022): 111-121.
“The Fog of War: Russia’s War on Ukraine, European Defence and Military Capabilities”, Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, 57(3) (2022): 152-156.
“Ties That Truly Bind? The Potential for Defence Industrial Cooperation between South Korea, NATO and the EU”, CSDS In-Depth Paper 18/2025 (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2025).
“The Defence Dilemma: Can Spain Ride Europe’s Defence Revival?”, ARI Report, (Real Instituto Elcano, 2025) – with Arteaga, F. and Simón, L.
“Sovereignty by Design? Security of Supply in Defence in the European Union”, ARES Group Paper (Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, 2025).
“The Price of Plenty: Industrial Overcapacities, China and European Defence”, CSDS Policy Brief 27 (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2025).
“Return on Investment? Understanding the Rationales for Increased Military Expenditure in Europe”, CSDS Policy Brief 22 (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2025).
“Counting on the Cloud? NATO, Digital Modernisation and Cloud Computing”, CSDS In-Depth Paper 17/2025 – with Calcara, A.
“Defence Innovation Trends: A Data Snapshot of the European Defence Fund, 2021-2024”, CSDS Policy Brief 15 (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 2025).
“Primed for Deterrence? NATO and the Indo-Pacific in the Age of Great Power Competition”, CSDS In-Depth Paper 14/2025 – with Simón, L., Mattelaer, A., Masuda, M., Boswinkel, L., Lanoszka, A. & Meijer, H.
“Integrated Arsenals? Mapping Defence Industrial Relations Between Europe and Ukraine”, ARES Group Paper, (Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, 2024).
“EU Defence After Versailles: An Agenda for the Future”, (European Parliament, 2023) – with Simón, L.
Full list of publications
