Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Name

Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Legal name

Australian Strategic Policy Institute

Website

https://aspi.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Defence Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

Keywords

• Defence policy research
• Strategic policy analysis
• National security advisory
• Cyber policy research
• Critical technology tracking

Headquarters

HQ city

Australian Capital Territory

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ASPI receives partial funding from the Australian Department of Defence as a wholly-owned Commonwealth Company established in 2001.
2. Corporate Partnership Program: Sponsorship revenue from corporate partners at various engagement tiers, offering benefits including early access to research, partner events, briefings, and event tickets.
3. Commissioned Research: Revenue from commissioned tasks and project-specific research for government and industry clients.
4. Events: Revenue from event registration fees for major conferences including Sydney Dialogue, Darwin Dialogue, and ASPI Defence Conference.
5. Professional Development Services: Revenue from professional development programs, capability uplift services, venue hire, and bespoke training programs for government and industry clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ASPI is an independent, non-partisan think tank that produces expert research, analysis, and publications on Australia's defence and strategic policy choices. Its core offerings include data-driven research platforms (such as the Critical Technology Tracker covering 74 technologies across 9+ million research papers), flagship policy reports, professional development programs for government and defence organisations, and convening of major international dialogues on defence, cyber technology, critical minerals, and national security.

Product overview

ASPI is an independent, non-partisan think tank that functions as a research and analysis organisation rather than a product company. Its offerings include research publications (The Cost of Defence, The Strategist blog), data-driven research platforms (Critical Technology Tracker covering 74 technologies, Pressure Points on Chinese military coercion, China Defence Universities Tracker), annual events (Sydney Dialogue, Defence Conference), professional development programs (Better Policy Training Program, Capability Uplift Services, Defence Fellows Program), networking initiatives (Women in Defence and Security Network), and podcast media (Stop the World). The organisation also operates multiple specialised research centres including the Critical Minerals Policy Centre, Climate and Security Policy Centre, Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre, Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre, Statecraft and Intelligence Policy Centre, Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement Policy Centre, and Polar Security Program. The various research centres and programs provide policy analysis while the professional development arm offers training services to government and defence organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC): Formerly ASPI's International Cyber Policy Centre; renamed to Cyber, Technology and Security Program (CTS) to reflect broader work on cyber-related issues and hybrid threats.
• ASPI Defence Fellows Program
• Women in Defence and Security Network (WDSN)
• The Critical Tech Tracker
• Pressure Points
• The Strategist
• Stop the World

Products and services

• The Cost of Defence ASPI's flagship annual defence budget brief providing independent, data-driven assessment of Australia's defence funding and capabilities, used as a reference for parliamentarians, officials, industry, and the strategic policy community.
• Critical Technology Tracker Large data-driven research platform tracking 74 critical technologies spanning defence, space, energy, AI, biotech, robotics, cyber, computing, advanced materials and quantum technology, analysing over 9 million research papers across 21 years of data to provide a leading indicator of a country's research performance and strategic intent.
• Pressure Points Interactive research project tracking and analysing Chinese military coercion across the Indo-Pacific using open-source data, satellite imagery, and official military reporting to document PLA activities.
• Sydney Dialogue Annual flagship event bringing together the world's top thinkers, innovators, and policymakers at the intersection of technology and security, held in Sydney each December.
• Women in Defence and Security Network (WDSN) Network established in 2014 supporting women in defence, national security, and international affairs through networking events, mentoring, and professional development.
• ASPI Defence Fellows Program Non-resident, mid-career fellowship designed to strengthen Australia's defence ecosystem by supporting emerging leaders undertaking policy-relevant research, including workshops, mentorship, and published research.
• Better Policy Training Program Capability pathway program building strategic policy and analytical skills for government professionals through progressive training courses.
• China Defence Universities Tracker Database tracking Chinese military-linked institutions in the global higher education sector.
• Xinjiang Data Project Investigation documenting human rights issues in the Xinjiang region.
• Stop the World Podcast Weekly podcast on international affairs and security covering defence, technology, cyber, geopolitics and foreign policy, available on Spotify and other platforms.
• The Strategist ASPI's publication platform for ongoing analysis, opinion, and commentary on defence, technology, geopolitics, and foreign policy.
• Capability Uplift and Professional Development Services Training and engagement services building strategic capability for government and defence organisations, including professional development programs, capability uplift services, and venue hire.
• Critical Minerals Policy Centre Research centre advancing policy discourse on critical minerals and rare earth elements, focusing on supply-chain resilience and strategic partnerships.
• Climate and Security Policy Centre Research centre examining how climate change affects national and regional security in the Indo-Pacific.
• Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre Research centre focusing on counter-terrorism, countering violent extremism, and democratic resilience.
• Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre Research centre focusing on nation-building and security of Australia's north, supported by the Northern Territory Government.
• Statecraft and Intelligence Policy Centre Research centre focusing on the intelligence role in statecraft and strategic policymaking.
• Strategic Policing and Law Enforcement Policy Centre Research centre examining national security challenges related to border security and transnational organised crime.
• Polar Security Program Program examining geopolitical, military, and resource dynamics in Arctic and Antarctic regions, advancing Australia's national interests amid intensifying strategic competition.
• Darwin Dialogue Track 1.5 cooperation forum on critical minerals with Australia, US, Japan, South Korea, and India.
• ASPI Defence Conference Annual defence conference convening government, industry, and the strategic policy community, typically held in June.

Quantifiable outcome

• Critical Technology Tracker cited globally in government strategies, Parliamentary testimonies, and briefings across dozens of countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Northern Territory GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Northern Territory Government supports the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre, funding research on nation-building and security of Australia's north.
• Corporate PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partners through the Corporate Partnership Program provide sponsorship revenue in exchange for early access to research, partner-only events, tailored briefings, and networking opportunities with government and international leaders.
• United States, Japan, Republic of Korea, IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarwin Dialogue serves as a track 1.5 cooperation forum with Australia, US, Japan, South Korea and India focused on critical minerals and rare earth elements supply-chain resilience and governance.
• Civil Society OrganisationssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerASPI collaborates with civil society groups from around the world and brings leading global experts to Australia through international fellowship programs. CTS team enriches regional debate through these partnerships.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lowy Institute: Sydney-based international affairs think tank focused on Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Direct peer to ASPI within Australia, sharing policy research, event convening, and a comparable funding mix of philanthropy, sponsorship, and events.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): London-based international affairs policy institute with global convening power and a fellow-based research model. Comparable to ASPI in independent policy analysis, publications, and member/corporate partnership programs.
• RAND Corporation: Major US-based policy research organisation producing defence and security analysis for governments worldwide. Comparable to ASPI in research depth, government contracting, and breadth of strategic policy topics.
• Royal United Services Institute (RUSI): UK defence and security think tank founded in 1831, providing independent analysis on military, national security, and cyber issues. Highly comparable to ASPI in mandate, fellow-based model, and government engagement.
• Center for a New American Security (CNAS): Washington DC-based national security and defence policy research center. Comparable to ASPI in Indo-Pacific-relevant defence research, fellow-driven output, and government/corporate sponsorship model.
• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Washington DC-based defence and security policy research center with broad program areas and government engagement. Closely comparable to ASPI in mission, scale, and reliance on government, corporate, and event funding.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): London-based global defence and security think tank best known for The Military Balance and Strategic Survey. Directly comparable to ASPI as a leading international security policy research institute with global convening and subscription publications.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Council: Washington DC-based international affairs think tank with strong focus on Eurasia, Indo-Pacific, and security. Comparable to ASPI in convening power and corporate partnership program, but with broader geographic and thematic scope.
• Brookings Institution: Large US-based public policy research organisation covering economics, foreign policy, and governance. Overlaps with ASPI in defence and foreign policy research but operates across a much wider policy portfolio.

Regional players

• Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA): Tokyo-based foreign policy research institute focused on Japanese and Indo-Pacific strategic issues. Comparable to ASPI in mission and government-linked funding, but primarily serving the Japanese policy community rather than Australia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ASPI_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ASPICanberra
• Facebookfacebook.com/ASPI.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-strategic-policy-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/aspi_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Strategic Policy Institute