Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

What Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik does

Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) is an independent German research foundation headquartered in Berlin (Ludwigkirchplatz 3–4, 10719 Berlin) that conducts practice-oriented research and policy advice on foreign, security, and international affairs for the German federal government, EU institutions, and the broader policy-research community. The institute is formally constituted as a Stiftung (foundation) and operates on a non-profit basis, with funding derived principally from German government sources and project-based grants including from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

SWP's product surface is organized as an editorial and research portfolio rather than a commercial product line. Core outputs include the SWP-Aktuell short policy briefs (typically eight pages), in-depth SWP-Studien, peer-reviewed SWP-Research Papers, brief SWP Comments, the journal-review SWP-Zeitschriftenschau, the "360 Grad" comprehensive assessment series, the SWP-Podcast (distributed on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcast, YouTube), and the SWP-WebMonitore web-monitoring tools, with a Literaturdatenbank providing access to academic literature. Publications are produced in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI formats and distributed free of charge. Research is structured across regional groups (Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, MENA, Latin America, Russia/Eastern Europe, Turkey, USA/Canada, EU/Europe) and thematic clusters such as climate-and-energy policy, global issues, systemic-rivalry cooperation, and European security-order redesign, with dedicated project units including the Centrum für angewandte Türkeistudien (CATS) and the Megatrends Afrika project.

The underlying revenue mechanic is institutional government funding and project-based grants rather than priced products or licensing. The pricing model is zero-cost distribution of intellectual output, supported by direct advisory engagement with policymakers as the primary monetization channel. Target customers are functionally German and European political decision-makers (primary), the academic and think-tank research community (primary), media outlets (secondary), and civil-society stakeholders (secondary). Distribution is principally digital (website, newsletter, podcast platforms, social media on Bluesky, LinkedIn, and YouTube) supplemented by in-person events and direct policy briefings.

Name

Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

Legal name

Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

Website

https://swp-berlin.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik is an independent German foundation providing practice-oriented research and policy advice on foreign, security, and European affairs to German and EU policymakers, the academic community, and the broader public, funded principally by government sources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Foreign Affairs Advisory

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

Keywords

• Policy research services
• Foreign security policy
• Think tank publications
• Policy advisory briefings
• International affairs research

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: SWP is a non-profit research institute funded by the German government, operating as a public institution that provides independent scientific research and policy advice.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SWP is an independent, publicly-funded German research foundation that conducts practice-oriented policy research and advises political decision-makers on foreign, security, European, and international affairs. It delivers its work through peer-reviewed publication series (SWP-Aktuell, SWP-Studien, SWP Comments, SWP-Zeitschriftenschau), an audio podcast, web monitoring services, a literature database, and direct advisory engagement with government institutions.

Product overview

Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) is an independent research institute providing policy advice on international and European affairs. Its product portfolio consists of publication series (SWP-Aktuell, SWP-Studien, SWP Comments, SWP-Zeitschriftenschau), multimedia content (SWP-Podcast, video content), and research tools (SWP-WebMonitore, Literaturdatenbank). The institute organizes its research through thematic Forschungsgruppen (research groups), Forschungscluster (research clusters), and Themenlinien (topic lines). Publications are available in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI formats. SWP also provides advisory services and maintains a network of external experts through its research clusters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SWP-Aktuell: Short policy briefs and commentaries on current topics in international affairs
• SWP-Studien
• SWP-Research Paper
• SWP Comment
• SWP-Podcast
• SWP-WebMonitore
• SWP-Zeitschriftenschau
• 360 Grad

Products and services

• SWP-Aktuell Short-format policy briefs providing timely analysis on current international and European policy issues, typically 8 pages, targeted at political decision-makers and the policy community.
• SWP-Studien In-depth research studies offering comprehensive analysis and policy recommendations on foreign and security policy topics for policymakers and the research community.
• SWP-Podcast Podcast series featuring SWP researchers discussing current international policy topics, distributed via Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.
• SWP-WebMonitore Web-based monitoring tools tracking developments in specific policy areas, available via the SWP website.
• Literaturdatenbank Online literature database providing access to SWP's research publications and related academic literature for the research community.
• SWP Comments Brief commentary pieces offering quick expert perspectives on current policy developments for decision-makers and the public.
• SWP-Zeitschriftenschau Review publication summarizing current journal literature relevant to international politics and security studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research informs German and European policy decisions on international affairs, security policy, and European policy

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): ECFR is a pan-European foreign policy think tank with a strong Berlin office, producing research on European foreign and security policy. It directly competes with SWP for European policymaker attention and project-based funding, with comparable thematic focus on EU policy and geopolitics.
• International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS): IISS is a global think tank specializing in security and defense policy, producing strategic analysis for governments and the policy community. Its focus on international security directly overlaps with SWP's security policy research and it serves a comparable policymaker audience.
• Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri): Ifri is France's leading independent research and debate center on international and strategic issues, based in Paris. It is directly comparable to SWP as a national foreign policy think tank with deep governmental relationships and EU-level policy influence.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Chatham House is the UK's leading international affairs think tank, conducting independent research on international relations, security, and global governance. It is highly comparable to SWP in research depth, publication model, and advisory mission to government decision-makers.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Carnegie is a major US-headquartered global think tank with Carnegie Europe based in Brussels. It conducts independent research on international affairs, security, and democracy — directly comparable to SWP in mission, methodology, and audience.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik (DGAP): DGAP is Germany's other leading foreign policy think tank, headquartered in Berlin. It is the closest direct peer to SWP, advising German and European policymakers on international affairs, foreign and security policy, with overlapping research areas and direct competition for the same policymaker audience.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): CSIS is a major US bipartisan policy research organization focused on international relations and security policy. Its thematic overlap with SWP on defense, European security, and geopolitics makes it a strong comparable, though CSIS operates with a broader US policy portfolio.
• Atlantic Council: The Atlantic Council is a US-based international affairs think tank focused on transatlantic relations and global security. Its research on European security, NATO, and geopolitics directly overlaps with SWP's areas, though it operates with a broader institutional scope and stronger US orientation.
• Brookings Institution: Brookings is a major US policy research organization covering foreign policy alongside economics, governance, and social policy. As a broader portfolio institution it overlaps with SWP on international affairs and security research, but is significantly larger and more diversified.
• RAND Corporation: RAND is a large US-based policy research institution producing rigorous analysis on defense, security, and international policy. While broader in scope (including domestic policy), its security and foreign policy research is directly comparable to SWP's work in methodology and policymaker orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SWPBerlin
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SWP-Berlin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/german-institute-for-international-and-security-affairs
• Facebookfacebook.com/StiftungWissenschaftundPolitik

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik