A research group that studies the economic levers that can be used in conflict, competition and warfare is holding its first academic symposium with the Defence Academy.
The Economic Conflict and Competition Research Group (ECCRG), of King’s College London (KCL), is hosting the symposium at Beckett House, in partnership with the Defence Academy’s Centre for Defence Education Research and Analysis (CDERA). The one-day event on 31 May will include four presentations from academic and industry experts under the theme of UK National Security and Supply Chain Issues.
The research papers cover analysis of the recurring challenges and problems in defence management and acquisition; competition and good governance in defence procurement; a new approach to enhancing supply chain resilience; and building resilience in an uncertain world.
They will be presented by contributors from KCL, Sussex University, RAND Europe and the Stockholm School of Economics to symposium attendees from academia and a wide range of the defence community.
After the event, the papers will be added to the Defence Academy Research Engine (DARE). DARE is accessible from any device through that link if the user has Defence Gateway credentials.
As an academic centre of excellence for developing interdisciplinary research on the study of economic warfare, the ECCRG’s key mission is to link together a global network of scholars, practitioners, companies and faculties to set an international standard for excellence in the analysis and thinking of this critical strategic concept.
Led by Professor Greg Kennedy, Professor of Strategic Foreign Policy at KCL, ECCRG's analysis includes the past, present and future in areas such as deterrence, coercion, appeasement and alliances; the role of technology in economic warfare; and the linkage between security, democracy, and capitalism.
Elements of the ECCRG’s research are taught across several courses within the Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC) at the Defence Academy.
Chris Taylor, head of CDERA at the Defence Academy, said:
Major General Andrew Roe, Chief Executive and Commandant of the Defence Academy, said: