Daniel Fiott

Prof. Dr Daniel Fiott is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), where he heads the Defence and Statecraft Programme. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Real Instituto Elcano in Madrid. His work focuses on European security and defence, with particular expertise in defence-industrial policy, military-technology strategy and EU security and defence cooperation.

Dr Fiott previously served as a Senior Analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies (2016–2022), where he played a central role in shaping policy debates on European defence, including through contributions to the EU Global Strategy and assisting in the drafting of the EU’s Strategic Compass. He has also held positions at the University of Kent (2018-2022) and the College of Europe (2009-2012). Across his career, he has advised EU institutions, NATO bodies, national governments and international organisations and has led or contributed to numerous commissioned studies for the European Parliament, the European Commission, NATO and defence ministries.

Dr Fiott is the author of the monograph Defence Industrial Cooperation in the EU (Routledge) and has published extensively in leading peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of European Integration, European Security and The Journal of Strategic Studies. Dr Fiott has also edited major collective volumes and Chaillot Papers on European security and sovereignty. Dr Fiott has published over 250 papers and serves on various scientific and selection committees for European institutions and national research councils, and he has reviewed widely for top international journals.

Dr Fiott received his PhD in political science from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with the support of a scholarship from the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO). He received his MPhil in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.