EDAM - Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies

What EDAM - Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies does

EDAM (Ekonomi ve Dış Politika Araştırmaları Merkezi — Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies) is an independent, non-profit think tank founded in 2009 and headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. It produces policy research and analysis across five interconnected research programs: Foreign Policy & Security; Cyber Governance & Digital Democracy; Economics & Energy; Defense Intelligence Sentinel (open-source defense intelligence); and Ekonomika (an open-source data platform on socioeconomic inequality, poverty, governance, and sustainable development). Output channels include a bilingual website, a blog, two podcast series (Weapons over Coffee and The EDAM Deep Dive), research reports, conferences, and roundtables, with routine expert commentary in Turkish and international media.

EDAM is led by Chairman Tacan İldem (former NATO Assistant Secretary General, 2016-2020, and former Turkish Permanent Representative to NATO and the OSCE) and Director Sinan Ülgen (career diplomat, founder of Istanbul Economics, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe). It is governed by a 16-member Executive Board, an Advisory Board of Turkish and European opinion leaders, and a permanent professional staff of researchers and program directors spanning security, economics, cyber policy, and area studies. In the University of Pennsylvania's 2015 global rankings, EDAM was the only Turkish think tank ranked in eight categories, including 9th in the MENA region, 15th globally for defense and national security, and 9th for best think tank conference.

EDAM does not sell products or services and has no commercial pricing model. Operating revenue is drawn from project-based funding, institutional donations, matching grants, and joint-project co-financing with civil society and international organizations under shared-funding principles; figures are not publicly disclosed. EDAM's primary stakeholder segments are government and policymakers (Turkish ministries, NATO, EU, UN), the academic community, the business sector, civil society organizations, and media, with strategic affiliations to Carnegie Europe, EPIN, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, ISN ETH Zurich, EurActiv, and Europe's World supporting its go-to-market as a policy-influence organization rather than a commercial entity.

Name

EDAM - Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies

Legal name

Ekonomi ve Dış Politika Araştırmalar Merkezi (EDAM)

Website

https://edam.org.tr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EDAM is an Istanbul-based, non-partisan think tank founded in 2009 that produces policy research on foreign policy, security, economics, energy, cyber governance, and defense intelligence. It serves Turkish and European policymakers, academics, civil society, and media through publications, podcasts, data platforms, and conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Istanbul

HQ country

Türkiye

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-Based Funding: EDAM accepts project-based funding to carry out research projects and publications. Funding comes from various international organizations and civil society groups on a shared financing principle.
2. Institutional Donations: EDAM receives institutional donations from individuals and organizations supporting their policy research mission.
3. Matching Grants: EDAM accepts matching grants that are aligned with their research priorities and institutional mission.
4. Joint Project Financing: EDAM undertakes joint projects with civil society and international organizations based on shared funding principles.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EDAM is an independent Turkish think tank that produces and disseminates policy research, analysis, and recommendations across foreign policy and security, EU-Turkey relations, cyber governance, economics and energy, and defense intelligence. Its offerings are organized into five research programs and supporting content channels (publications, podcasts, blog, open-source data platform, and conferences/roundtables) targeted at policymakers, academics, business, civil society, and media.

Product overview

EDAM operates as a think tank producing policy research and analysis across five interconnected programs: Foreign Policy & Security, Cyber Governance & Digital Democracy, Economics & Energy, Defense Intelligence Sentinel, and Ekonomika platform. The organization distributes its research through multiple channels including publications, podcasts (Weapons over Coffee, The EDAM Deep Dive), blog posts, and organizes conferences and roundtable meetings. EDAM functions as a single unified research organization rather than a platform with modular products—the programs represent distinct research focus areas rather than separate product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foreign Policy & Security Research Program Research program examining Turkey's relations with global and regional actors and international institutions including the UN, as well as Turkey-US, EU-US, and NATO relations. For policymakers, academics, and analysts.
• Cyber Governance & Digital Democracy Research Program Program examining cybersecurity, data privacy, surveillance, Internet freedoms, cyber warfare, and disinformation to contribute to Turkey's comprehensive cyber policy development. For policymakers and security researchers.
• Economics & Energy Research Program Program focusing on globalization governance, Turkey's economic impact from globalization, and long-term economic perspectives including Turkey's contribution to the European economy. For policymakers, business, and academia.
• Defense Intelligence Sentinel Open-source intelligence and defense analysis program providing research on military developments, arms control, and non-proliferation issues, including military-strategic assessments, conflict analysis, and defense technology evaluations. For defense researchers, journalists, and policy audiences.
• Ekonomika Platform Open-source data platform for social and economic inequalities, poverty, governance, democratization, and sustainable development research, providing data to researchers, policymakers, and experts.
• Weapons over Coffee Podcast Weekly podcast covering defense and security developments in the region and the world, part of EDAM's Defense and Security Program. For defense analysts, journalists, and policy audiences.
• The EDAM Deep Dive Podcast Podcast series serving as a comprehensive guide on international politics, featuring expert discussions and detailed analysis of global affairs. For policy professionals and informed public.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Konrad-Adenauer-StiftungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDAM collaborates with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on cybersecurity research. They jointly organized the 3rd Cybersecurity Workshop 2022, bringing together experts to discuss cyber policy issues.
• Europe's WorldminorOthersEDAM is affiliated with Europe's World, an international policy news portal.
• ISN ETH ZurichminorOthersEDAM is affiliated with ISN ETH Zurich, an international security network.
• EurActivminorOthersEDAM is affiliated with EurActiv, a European media network covering EU affairs.
• EPIN (European Policy Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDAM is an active member of EPIN, a Brussels-based European-wide think tank network.
• Carnegie EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDAM Director Sinan Ülgen serves as a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels, facilitating research collaboration and publication exchanges.
• Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDAM experts publish research and opinion pieces with Carnegie Endowment publications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House: UK-based international affairs think tank covering geopolitics, security, and economics. Comparable as a globally ranked policy-research institution with parallel MENA, energy, and international security coverage and a similar conference-driven engagement model.
• Brookings Institution: One of the largest US-based think tanks covering foreign policy, economics, and governance globally. Comparable as a globally ranked policy-research institution with parallel themes around transatlantic economics, defense, and Turkey/MENA coverage.
• German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP): Germany's leading foreign-policy and security think tank advising government on NATO, defense, and energy. Comparable as an internationally ranked defense and security research institution operating with similar policy-briefing and conference models.
• German Marshall Fund (GMF): Transatlantic policy institute focused on Europe–US relations, NATO, and security. Comparable as an internationally networked think tank with overlapping defense, NATO, and EU-Turkey policy themes and a comparable grant-funded operating model.
• Atlantic Council: US-based international affairs think tank focused on NATO, European security, and MENA policy. Comparable as a globally networked institution with overlapping defense, NATO, energy, and Turkey-adjacent policy coverage and a similar conference-and-briefings engagement model.
• Carnegie Europe: Brussels-based branch of a major global think tank focused on European foreign policy, security, and EU–Turkey relations. Comparable as an international affairs think tank with overlapping EU, NATO, and transatlantic themes, and is directly connected to EDAM via Sinan Ülgen's visiting-scholar affiliation.

Direct peers

• International Crisis Group: Global conflict-prevention think tank producing analysis on geopolitics, security, and regional stability. Comparable as a foreign-policy/security think tank covering MENA, Turkey, Iran, and NATO themes with on-the-ground analysis similar to EDAM's Defense Intelligence Sentinel.
• SETA (Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research): Turkey's largest domestic think tank covering foreign policy, security, economics, and civil society. Directly comparable as a Turkish policy research institution with parallel thematic coverage and government-facing positioning.
• TEPAV (Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey): Ankara-based Turkish think tank focused on economics, trade, and governance. Comparable as a domestic Turkish policy-research peer with overlapping economic and EU–Turkey thematic focus.
• Istanbul Policy Center (Sabancı University): University-affiliated Turkish policy research center covering foreign policy, EU relations, and governance. Directly comparable as a Turkish think tank with academic-anchored research and policy-engagement model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EdamOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EDAM - Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies