Entries by Stephanie Govaerts

New report | Bridging Waters: Strengthening Europe’s Maritime Security Engagement Through Partnerships with Rising Middle Powers    

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In a new report ‘Bridging Waters: Strengthening Europe’s Maritime Security Engagement Through Partnerships with Rising Middle Powers,’ Benedetta Girardi and Pieter-Jan Vandoren explore how Europe can strengthen maritime security in the South China Sea and Red Sea through cooperation with rising middle powers. The study outlines urgent threats, identifies high-value preventive and responsive measures, and presents an actionable agenda for European policymakers.

New report | Assessing Europe’s Resilience and Preparedness in an Era of Strategic Risks   

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Europe’s resilience is still situational, not systemic, concludes a new joint HCSS and CSDS report. The report finds that Europe’s ability to withstand hybrid shocks remains uneven, with civil–military cooperation and military mobility emerging as critical vulnerabilities. The authors propose concrete EU–NATO and Dutch recommendations to strengthen energy, transport and digital resilience, and argue that true deterrence now depends on treating resilience as a core strategic capability.

The HCSS Datalab presents: DOMINO, the Dutch Observer for Materials Intelligence and Operations

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the HCSS Datalab proudly presents the Dutch Observer for Materials Intelligence and Operations (DOMINO) dashboard, a tool that provides a near real-time synthesis of global events that impact critical raw material supply chains. It enables decision-makers and industry stakeholders to understand potential domino effects, where a single change can trigger a cascade of consequences that affect supply chain security. Developed with support from the Netherlands Materials Observatory (NMO).

HCSS at Raw Materials Week 2025 and more

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A HCSS delegation was present at the 10th edition of Raw Materials Week consisting of Michel Rademaker, Irina Patrahau and Jesse Kommandeur. The EU Raw Materials Week is an annual event organised by the European Commission. The 2025 edition took place in Brussels form 17-21 November. It gathers over 1000 stakeholders from governments, industry, civil society, academia and research to discuss policies and initiatives in the field of raw materials in the EU and globally.

Dag van Progress 2025 | Key Takeaways HCSS & Clingendael

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Op 13 november organiseerden The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies en The Clingendael Institute in samenwerking met het Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken en Ministerie van Defensie de jaarlijkse Dag van Progress. Het centrale thema van de dag stond in het teken Europese soevereiniteit in tijden van veranderende trans-Atlantische verhoudingen, en wat hierin de kansen en uitdagingen zijn voor Nederland en Europa. Samen met onderzoekers, beleidsmakers en strategische denkers verkenden we wat dit betekent voor Europa’s strategische autonomie, defensie-industrie en technologische weerbaarheid.

New report | European Military Fuel Readiness: The Role of Alternative Fuels in Military Logistics 

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What does the energy transition in the military look like? The use of alternative fuels in the military brings challenges and opportunities, but while fossil fuels are slowly phased out, advanced and sustainable biofuels as well as synthetic fuels – are introduced. This report analyses the energy transition for military fuel readiness across the air, land and maritime domains as of 2025. Relating fuel properties and infrastructure to the operational needs of the military and providing 5 takeaways.

Event Recap | From Dayton to Brussels: 30 Years of Peace, deadlock, and an EU path for Bosnia and Herzegovina

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To mark thirty years since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, on November 21st, 2025, HCSS, the Clingendael Institute, and the BiH-NL Think Tank convened policymakers, scholars, diplomats, and civil society representatives to assess Dayton’s legacy and Bosnia’s prospects of moving from the “Dayton phase” to the “Brussels phase”. Discussions highlighted Dayton’s dual role as a peace settlement and a constitutional framework, the structural deadlock it created, rising geopolitical pressures, and the growing importance of civic engagement. Read the full event recap here.

HCSS General Internship open for applications (start date February 2026)

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HCSS is looking for new interns to start in February 2026! Are you a student interested in geopolitics and international security? The HCSS internship is a dynamic and varied opportunity in research, analysis, data, communication, design, networking, copy writing, policy development, and event support. Deadline to apply is January 4th!

HCSS Draghi Revisited Report Series | Expert Commentary

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One year after Mario Draghi’s landmark report, HCSS launches Draghi Revisited, the second edition of its Draghi Report Series. Despite rising political attention, Europe remains dependent in key defence, raw materials, cleantech and digital sectors, while global pressures intensify. Following the impact of their initial series, HCSS analysts Ron Stoop and Berend Kwak were invited to the European Commission’s conference marking the report’s anniversary, and now return to assess how far Europe has advanced toward industrial, technological and economic sovereignty. This new edition revisits Draghi’s warnings sector by sector, reviewing the EU’s concrete steps over the past year.

New Event | Hybrid Pressures, Strategic Responses: Small and Middle Powers in the Age of China’s Influence

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HCSS is pleased to invite you to join the Symposium ‘Hybrid Pressures, Strategic Responses: Small and Middle Powers in the Age of China’s Influence’ on 16 December 2025. This in-person event brings together European and Asian experts to examine China’s expanding use of hybrid tactics and their impact on small and middle powers. The event will explore how states are responding, how China’s activities differ from other hybrid threats, and where opportunities exist to strengthen Europe–Asia cooperation and resilience.