Research and Engagement
Making the world safer, one inconvenient truth at a time
Our commitment to security extends well beyond billable hours, treating global challenges as problems requiring actual solutions rather than mere business opportunities. This dedication to inconvenient realities and proactive problem-solving sets us apart, though we can't promise it makes us more popular at industry conferences.
Making the world marginally less dangerous
While others pontificate about global challenges, we roll up our sleeves and actually address them. Our team advises the World Economic Forum on risk, sits on boards tackling climate change and technology-enabled trafficking, and designs cyber protection for those who need it most but can afford it least.
As principal investigators studying state behaviour in cyberspace, urban security, and the green transition, we've developed an irritating habit of being right about things that matter. This research doesn't just fill academic journals—it generates the insights that help clients navigate an increasingly volatile world.
Our partnerships with organisations like Brazil’s Igarapé Institute and the SecDev Foundation aren't corporate window-dressing. They're proof that profit and purpose needn't be mutually exclusive, even if combining them requires considerably more effort than most are willing to invest.
Strategic Cyber Stability
SecDev convenes discreet para-diplomatic engagements in areas critical to global stability, including cybersecurity, space governance, and the security of civilian nuclear infrastructure and military nuclear command and control systems (NC3). Collaborating with trusted partners in government and academia, we facilitate expert dialogues to build understanding, forge connections, and establish the “human fabric” necessary for effective crisis management during times of unparalleled global instability. This initiative is financially supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Digital harm reduction
SecDev, along with its sister organization, SecDev Foundation, pioneered the Digital Response initiative, an ambitious venture with the objective of identifying and mitigating digital threats within conflict regions. In 2021-2022, SecDev was awarded a start-up grant by Global Affairs Canada, Grand Challenges Canada and the Humanitarian Grand Challenge to pursue work in Yemen.
Green Transition and Geopolitics:
The war for Ukraine’s mineral resources
The shift to cleaner and more secure energy sources introduces new challenges, particularly concerning critical minerals essential for renewable energy technologies. Operating in some of the world’s most complex geographies, our experts harvest open-source data, geospatially map the location and value of deposits and infrastructure, and analyze opportunities and risks for stakeholders invested in the green energy transition.
Our research on Ukraine’s mineral resources seized by Russia has been featured in major media outlets, including the Washington Post, BBC, Financial Times, Foreign Policy and Globe and Mail.
Selected Publications
Evidence we occasionally commit our thoughts to paper
A random collection of our attempts to make sense of an increasingly senseless world. These publications represent our ongoing effort to transform complex global challenges into actionable intelligence - though we can't guarantee readers will act on it wisely.
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