CEIAS: Central European Institute of Asian Studies

What CEIAS: Central European Institute of Asian Studies does

CEIAS (Central European Institute of Asian Studies) is a private non-profit civic association founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, with a secondary registered entity, CEIAS Prague z. s., in the Czech Republic. The institute conducts policy research and analysis focused on Asian geopolitics, with particular emphasis on EU-China relations, China-Central and Eastern Europe relations, Taiwan, security studies, and Belt and Road Initiative implications for the Visegrad (V4) region. It serves three primary audiences: European and national policymakers and diplomatic corps, the academic and research community studying international relations and Asian affairs, and media professionals covering Asia-related news.

CEIAS's core offerings combine a portfolio of eight specialized interactive trackers with a tiered publication program. The trackers — including the EU-Taiwan Tracker, China-Europe Academic Engagement Tracker, Global Views of China Tracker, EU Voters' Views on China Tracker, Central Europe-East Asia EV Nexus Tracker, EUSEAR Tracker, EU Chips Ecosystem Tracker, and the historical WHO|WHERE|WHEN PRC Leaders Travel tracker — continuously aggregate primary-source data on bilateral engagement, public opinion, academic collaboration, and strategic investments. These are supplemented by written outputs (CEIAS Papers, CEIAS Insights, CEEasia Briefing, Chinese Media Watch, and the Bookshelf series of co-authored academic books) and the annual CEEasia Forum convening platform.

The institute operates an independent non-profit revenue model with no commercial pricing. Funding is sourced from project grants (notably the National Endowment for Democracy, the Center for International Private Enterprise, and the International Visegrad Fund), individual donations processed through Slovakia's Darujme.sk platform, and newsletter subscriptions distributed via Mailchimp. Distribution of all publications and trackers is free and open-access through ceias.eu, supported by an active presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. CEIAS maintains strategic partnerships with the European Think-tank Network on China, Hybrid CoE (European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats), the Institute of Asian Studies / CENAA in Slovakia, the Prague Security Studies Institute, and other V4+ research consortium partners.

Name

CEIAS: Central European Institute of Asian Studies

Legal name

Občianske združenie Central European Institute of Asian Studies

Website

https://ceias.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEIAS is a non-profit think tank providing policy research, interactive trackers, and publications on Asian geopolitics, EU-China and EU-Taiwan relations, and V4 engagement with East Asia, serving policymakers, academics, and journalists across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bratislava

HQ country

Slovakia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CEIAS is a non-profit think tank that produces policy research, analysis, and interactive data trackers on Asian geopolitics, with a particular focus on China-Central and Eastern Europe relations, EU-Asia bilateral engagement, public opinion on China, and regional security. It sells no commercial product; its deliverables are open-access publications (CEIAS Papers, CEIAS Insights, CEEasia Briefing, Bookshelf, Chinese Media Watch), event programming (CEEasia Forum), and specialized monitoring tools covering topics from EU-Taiwan relations to Chinese EV investments in the V4 region.

Product overview

CEIAS is a think tank that provides a unified research platform organized around trackers (interactive data tools monitoring specific policy areas), publications (including CEIAS Papers, CEIAS Insights, CEEasia Briefing, Bookshelf, and Chinese Media Watch), and collaborative projects. The core offerings are the various thematic trackers that provide real-time monitoring of Asia-related developments in Europe, supplemented by written analytical publications that present research findings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EU Chips Ecosystem Tracker

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Think-tank Network on ChinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEIAS team members participate in this European network focused on China research and analysis, providing collaborative research opportunities and knowledge sharing among European think tanks studying China.
• Hybrid CoE (European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEIAS Executive Director Matej Šimalčík is a member of the Expert Pool at Hybrid CoE, contributing expertise on hybrid threats and Chinese influence operations in Europe.
• International Visegrad FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on V4+ and One Belt One Road research project, financing comparative analysis of China approaches among Visegrad countries.
• Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the Authoritarian Corrosive Capital in CEE paper series, providing funding for research on Chinese and Russian economic activities in Central and Eastern Europe.
• Institute of Asian Studies (IAS) / CENAAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEIAS originated from and maintains close ties with the Institute of Asian Studies (IAS) / CENAA in Slovakia. Several publications and events are co-branded or jointly organized.
• Prague Security Studies Institute (Czech Republic)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in comparative research projects on China approaches in the V4 region, including V4+ and One Belt One Road analysis.
• HAS Center for Economic and Regional Studies, Institute of World Economics (Hungary)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated research on Chinese investments in Visegrad countries, producing comparative analysis of Chinese financial engagement in the region.
• Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (Serbia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in V4+ research consortium examining approaches toward China and Belt and Road Initiative implications.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM): Warsaw-based government-affiliated foreign policy institute covering China and Central European security. PISM is the closest large-state peer within the V4, with comparable thematic scope but a Polish domestic-policy orientation CEIAS lacks.
• Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA): Budapest-based government-affiliated foreign policy think tank covering China and CEE within the V4 framework. HIIA is a direct regional peer for V4 China policy research, though it operates under tighter governmental alignment.

Broad incumbents

• SWP (German Institute for International and Security Affairs): Berlin-based, government-funded research institute covering foreign and security policy including China. SWP is a broader German incumbent whose deep resources and policy access make it a benchmark competitor for EU-level China analysis.
• Atlantic Council: Washington-based foreign policy think tank with a Global China Hub and active Europe-China programming. Atlantic Council competes for grant funding and media visibility on China-related analysis targeting European audiences.
• Brookings Institution: Washington-based policy research organization with active China and international economics programs. Brookings represents the global-scale incumbent whose model and reach set the upper bound for what CEIAS could aspire to as it expands internationally.
• MERICS (Mercator Institute for China Studies): Berlin-based think tank focused on China; the leading European incumbent in the same China-research category CEIAS occupies. MERICS is larger and better resourced, making it the primary direct competitor for policy attention, media citations, and grant funding on EU-China topics.
• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Pan-European foreign policy think tank with extensive China coverage and a pan-EU office network. ECFR is a broader incumbent whose scale and pan-European reach overlap with CEIAS's emerging ambition to influence EU-China policy debate.
• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Global foreign policy think tank with a China program and European offices. Carnegie competes for the same high-level policymaker attention and is a benchmark for the kind of international scaling CEIAS could pursue.

Direct peers

• Institute of Asian Studies (CENAA): Bratislava-based Slovak institute from which CEIAS originated; CENAA maintains close co-branding and joint events with CEIAS, making it the closest organizational peer in scope and geography.
• Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI): Prague-based think tank covering security policy and China-CEE relations; PSSI is an active CEIAS partner on V4+/Belt and Road research and the most direct regional peer in the Czech security-policy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CEIAS_eu
• Facebookfacebook.com/CEIASeu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceias-eu
• Instagraminstagram.com/ceias_eu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CEIAS: Central European Institute of Asian Studies