Currently, Germany does not possess a research institute which fills the need for multi- and interdisciplinary research on security issues, BIGS is intended to close this gap. It seeks to analyze security issues from an interdisciplinary perspective and to supply needed insights into these issues, while at the same time strengthening Germany’s broader security architecture over the long term.
Similarly, in Germany the ties between research on security in the social sciences and R&D in the natural and engineering sciences is inadequate. BIGS will assume a bridge-building function in this regard. At the same time, the institute will contribute to the recruitment and training of the next generation of scholars in security research.
To avoid becoming too far removed from the political, economic and administrative realities, the institute will include outside organizations, such as for example business partners from the security field, in its scientific events and publications. This dialogue is not just intended to give partners in the field access to new scientific developments, but also to help participating scholars in dealing with pragmatic lines of argumentation.

Therefore, BIGS will not just include business partners, but also public agencies and political institutions in its work. The agencies are often the only, or at least the primary, purchasers of security products and services, while the political institutions provide the legal frameworks which make the agencies’ work possible. The political institutions are also the partners with whom a public debate on security questions should be initiated, so as to lead to a broader societal discourse about security strategies in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Security and dealing with risk are issues of concern in all societies. Therefore, is it absolutely necessary that the institute’s work not just be limited to the Berlin-Brandenburg region or the national level, but also that it should participate in international dialogue, debate and research. Towards this end, developing a close network of ties to comparable research institutions in at the national and international level is essential.

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