Strategic Insights Memo

Apr 12, 2024

Digesting the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference’s outcomes and implications for US-China 5G competition

By Ngor Luong

In February 2024, the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub convened a group of policy and industry experts for a private workshop to examine the outcomes of the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) held in Dubai from November 20 to December 15, 2023, as well as to discuss China’s ambitions for leadership in 5G technology and its economic and security implications for the United States, its allies, and partners. This memorandum captures key insights from the workshop.

China Technology & Innovation

Strategic Insights Memo

Dec 20, 2023

Expanding NATO’s competitive mindset: Deterring and defending across physical and virtual domains

By Delharty Manson

In October 2023, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Forward Defense program, in partnership with NATO ACT, convened current and former practitioners for a private workshop on expanding NATO’s approach to multi-domain operations (MDO), identifying key challenges and opportunities to operationalizing MDO across the Alliance. This memo summarizes the workshop’s key takeaways and conclusions.

Crisis Management Defense Policy

Strategic Insights Memo

Aug 18, 2023

Employing artificial intelligence and the edge continuum for joint operations

By James E. Cartwright and Jags Kandasamy

In Spring 2023, experts from the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Forward Defense program and Latent AI convened for discussions on employing artificial intelligence for joint operations. This memo builds upon takeaways and insights gleaned from those meetings.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Technologies

Strategic Insights Memo

Apr 24, 2023

Assessing China’s approach to technological competition with the United States

By Peter Engelke, Emily Weinstein

This past winter, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Global China Hub convened experts and officials in a private workshop to discuss how China views technological competition with the United States.

China Politics & Diplomacy
U.S. Air Force photo by J.M. Eddins Jr.

Hybrid Conflict Project

Dec 22, 2022

Scoping the gray zone: Defining terms and policy priorities for engaging competitors below the threshold of conflict

By Atlantic Council’s Gray Zone Task Force

This Strategic Insights Memo, produced by Forward Defense’s Gray Zone Task Force, considers the scope of modern gray zone activity and the implications for US and allies strategy.

China Defense Policy

Strategic Insights Memo

Nov 15, 2022

Designing domestic and multilateral strategies for maintaining technological superiority

By Peter Engelke, Emily Weinstein

This fall, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Global China Hub convened experts and officials in a private workshop to discuss how the United States, in conjunction with allies and partners, might design strategies to maintain technological superiority over China. The workshop explored the necessary components of a competitive strategy via both “protect” and “run faster” policies. This memo draws from insights gathered during the workshop to give policy makers a better understanding of the potential tools in the strategic arsenal.

China Defense Technologies

Strategic Insights Memo

Jul 19, 2022

Toward coherence in tech competition with China

By Peter Engelke, Emily Weinstein

This June, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and the Global China Hub convened experts and officials in a private workshop to discuss technological competition between the United States, its allies and partners, and their biggest global competitor, China. The workshop explored the stakes in this competition across economic, military, and other domains, as well as the challenges facing Washington and its allies and partners with respect to China’s rising technological capabilities. This memo draws from insights gleaned during the workshop to give policymakers a better understanding of this competition, it stakes, and the strategic choices facing the United States and its allies and partners.

China Defense Technologies

Strategic Insights Memo

Jan 12, 2022

Strengthening the OSCE’s role in strategic stability

By Marina Favaro

Over the past year, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security has hosted a private workshop with several international experts and officials to discuss how to strengthen the OSCE’s role in strategic stability. In this strategic insights memo, the Transatlantic Security Initiative advances a new understanding for policymakers regarding how emerging technologies should factor into forthcoming arms control regimes.

Arms Control Defense Technologies

Strategic Insights Memo

Dec 7, 2021

Biden’s Summit for Democracy

By Ash Jain

Over the past several months, the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security has organized a series of private workshops with official and experts from leading democracies, including the D-10, to discuss the Biden administration’s plans for a Summit for Democracy. This memo provides some insights and recommendations for summit plans going forward.

Europe & Eurasia Indo-Pacific

Strategic Insights Memo

Nov 30, 2021

After Kabul: US and allied policy options in Afghanistan

By Atlantic Council and DT Institute

On September 1, 2021, the Atlantic Council and DT Institute ran an expert-driven matrix wargame to: (1) explore major policy dilemmas on the horizon after the US-led coalition withdrawal; and (2) forecast state behavior and assess emerging risks in the wake of the crisis. This Strategic Insights Memo captures the key takeaways from that wargame and the implications for great-power competition, regional security, and humanitarian issues in South Asia and the Middle East.

Afghanistan Conflict