ISDC - International Security and Development Center

What ISDC - International Security and Development Center does

ISDC – International Security and Development Center is a Berlin-based non-profit academic research institute (gGmbH) that conducts rigorous research to understand and alleviate suffering shaped by violent conflict, fragility, and humanitarian emergencies. Founded in 2014 with operational roots going back to the 2010 launch of the Life in Kyrgyzstan Study, the institute serves governments, multilateral organizations (UNDP, UNHCR, World Bank), bilateral aid agencies (UK FCDO, Netherlands MFA, GIZ), non-governmental organizations (Mercy Corps, WFP), and academic partners across more than 15 countries. Its mission centers on producing large-n statistical evidence and quasi-experimental impact evaluations in conflict-affected settings where such evidence is historically scarce, exemplified by the multi-country Violence Against Children Surveys across nine African countries (35,000+ respondents) and the long-running Central Asia panel survey.

The institute's portfolio comprises five primary offerings: the Life in Kyrgyzstan (LiK) longitudinal panel study (the longest-running in Central Asia, operating since 2010 and now functioning as open-access research infrastructure); peer-reviewed research publications and policy reports spanning humanitarian emergencies, violence and peacebuilding, shocks and livelihoods, and human development; impact evaluations of major donor programs (including the USD 34 million World Bank-financed Lisungi Project in Republic of Congo and WFP malnutrition interventions in Niger); the ISDC Academy capacity-building program; and annual convening events such as the Fragile Lives conference and the LiK Conference. Its underlying technology stack combines panel data analysis, quasi-experimental and impact evaluation design, micro-data collection, spatial data analysis, machine learning, and crowd-based data collection methodologies. Core delivery teams are led by founder and director Professor Tilman Brück (also Professor at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) and comprise PhD-level economists with prior affiliations at the World Bank, SIPRI, DIW Berlin, and leading universities.

ISDC operates on a grant-funded non-profit model with no commercial product sales; revenue flows from research contracts, project grants, and donations from institutional donors including governments, international organizations, and foundations. The organization is registered as a German non-profit limited liability company (gGmbH), is GDPR-compliant, and maintains formal ethical guidelines and a dedicated Ethics Officer. Distribution occurs exclusively through academic and policy channels—open-access publications, institutional partnerships, peer-reviewed journals, policy engagement, and academic conferences—rather than commercial channels.

Name

ISDC - International Security and Development Center

Legal name

ISDC – International Security and Development Center gGmbH

Website

https://isdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISDC is a Berlin-based non-profit academic research institute conducting rigorous impact evaluations and longitudinal studies on violent conflict, fragility, and humanitarian emergencies for governments, multilateral organizations, bilateral aid agencies, NGOs, and academic partners across 15+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Development Research and Impact Evaluation Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Conflict research
• Impact evaluation
• Panel data studies
• Humanitarian research
• Development economics

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISDC is a Berlin-based non-profit academic research institute that conducts rigorous quantitative and qualitative research, impact evaluations, and micro-data collection in conflict-affected and fragile settings worldwide. Its primary offerings include the Life in Kyrgyzstan longitudinal panel study, ISDC Academy training programs, peer-reviewed research publications and policy reports, and annual research conferences, delivered as commissioned evaluations and grant-funded research for governments, international organizations, NGOs, and academic partners.

Product overview

ISDC - International Security and Development Center is a non-profit academic institute based in Berlin, Germany, conducting research to improve lives and livelihoods shaped by violent conflict, fragility, and humanitarian emergencies. The organization operates as a research institute rather than a commercial product company, offering a portfolio of research data platforms, knowledge products, and capacity-building programs. Key offerings include the Life in Kyrgyzstan (LiK) Study (the longest-running panel survey in Central Asia), ISDC Academy for capacity building, research publications and reports, and annual conferences including Fragile Lives and Life in Kyrgyzstan conferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life in Kyrgyzstan (LiK) Study: Longest-running panel survey in Central Asia tracking households and individuals over time since 2010.
• Life with Corona
• ISDC Academy

Products and services

• Life in Kyrgyzstan (LiK) Study Longest-running panel survey in Central Asia, tracking the same households and individuals over time since 2010 and capturing multidimensional data on family dynamics, economic well-being, and social change. It functions as an open-access knowledge infrastructure for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.
• ISDC Academy Educational initiative focused on building research capacity in development economics, conflict studies, and impact evaluation methodologies.
• Research Publications and Reports Academic papers, working papers, and policy reports covering conflict, development, humanitarian emergencies, food security, peacebuilding, and displacement, published in peer-reviewed journals and as institutional publications.
• Fragile Lives Conference Annual research conference series bringing together international experts on conflict, fragility, and humanitarian issues.
• Life in Kyrgyzstan Annual Conference Annual conference focused on socio-economic development research in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia, co-organized with the University of Central Asia and other partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Demonstrated that political violence leaves a lasting imprint on how children are treated within families and communities, verified empirically for the first time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of Central Asia (UCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2026ISDC and UCA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding reflecting continuity of their long-standing academic partnership. At the core is the Life in Kyrgyzstan (LiK) Study, launched in 2010, which tracks households over time as the longest-running panel survey in Central Asia. The partnership consolidates institutional networks to continue providing policymakers with evidence-based insights for sustainable development across Central Asia.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with World Bank on refugee and host populations financing window for the Lisungi Project in Republic of Congo. ISDC provides rigorous statistical evidence from regions where impact evaluations are historically scarce, while World Bank provides technical and financial support through the Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement (JDC).
• UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement (JDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical and financial support from the World Bank-UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced Displacement enabled ISDC's research on social safety nets in dense displacement settings, providing crucial insights into the political economy of forced displacement.
• Humboldt-Universität zu BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author Dr. Tilman Brück serves as Professor for Economic Development and Food Security at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. International research team collaboration on studies linking political violence to violence against children, adolescents and young adults.
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author Dr. Marcella Vigneri serves as senior economist at Save the Children UK and collaborated on the Nature Communications study examining links between political violence and violence against young people across nine African countries.
• Natural Resources Institute, University of GreenwichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author Dr. Olusegun Fadare is a development economist at the Natural Resources Institute contributing to research on political violence and interpersonal violence against youth in Africa.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint effort with Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) and Zentrum Überleben producing the Mental Health in the West Bank and Gaza report, analyzing data from a nationally representative survey of 5,876 individuals.
• World BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch on North-east Nigeria published as World Bank Policy Research Working Paper as part of the program 'Building the Evidence on Protracted Forced Displacement: A Multi-Stakeholder Partnership', funded by UK Aid from FCDO and established in partnership with UNHCR.
• Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistinguished representatives from AKDN attended the MoU signing ceremony with University of Central Asia, which is part of the Aga Khan Development Network, supporting sustainable development across Central Asia.
• Households in Conflict Network (HiCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISDC Director Tilman Brück serves as HiCN co-director alongside Patricia Justino (IDS) and Philip Verwimp (ULB). HiCN is a global research network publishing working paper series and conducting annual workshops on conflict research.
• Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEGAP's Metaketa Initiative funds the Women's Action Committees and Local Services project coordinated across five research projects in Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam to assess how participation affects women in these settings.
• Humboldt University BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISDC partners with Humboldt University Berlin along with Peking University, Evidence Central Asia, and Development Policy Institute to implement the Women's Action Committees project in Kyrgyzstan.
• Institute of Development Studies (IDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on White Paper addressing priority variables for understanding micro-dynamics of food security in insecure situations. Patricia Justino leads Vulnerability and Poverty Reduction Team at IDS.
• Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Life in Kyrgyzstan conferences and partner in Life with Corona in Africa project. IGZ carries out basic and applied research supporting sustainable production and rational use of natural resources.
• World Food Programme (WFP) NigercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISDC conducts impact evaluation of WFP Niger's treatment, prevention and assets programs targeting moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) in the fragile environment of Niger.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO): Established Norwegian research institute specializing in armed conflict, peacebuilding, and security-development intersections. Comparable as a specialized incumbent in the conflict-research space with overlapping themes but longer institutional history.
• World Bank Independent Evaluation Group (IEG): Independent arm of the World Bank that validates evaluations of Bank-financed operations. Comparable as a global evaluator of development programs in conflict-affected settings; ISDC frequently conducts complementary work.
• Institute of Development Studies (IDS): Large UK-based development research institute with long-running programs on vulnerability, poverty reduction, and conflict. Collaborates with ISDC through Patricia Justino; comparable as a broader, more established counterpart working on adjacent themes.
• Center for Global Development (CGD): Major think tank producing independent research on global development, fragility, and aid effectiveness. Comparable as a broader, more established institutional player serving overlapping donor and policy audiences.
• RAND Corporation: Large non-profit research institution with security and development programs addressing fragile states. Relevant as a broader incumbent offering similar policy-research services to defense and aid ministries, though at much larger scale.
• German Development Institute (DIE / IDOS): German (Bonn-based) policy-research institute on global development and international cooperation. Comparable as another Berlin/European academic-policy hybrid focused on development policy, with overlapping German federal ministry relationships.

Direct peers

• Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL): Global network of research academics producing rigorous impact evaluations on poverty and development. Overlaps directly with ISDC's expertise in quasi-experimental designs and impact evaluations in low-income and conflict-affected countries.
• International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie): Non-profit that funds and synthesizes impact evaluations in developing countries. Both funder of and partner with ISDC's evaluations (e.g., WFP Niger); shares mandate of generating and promoting rigorous evidence for development policy.
• Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA): Non-profit research organization running randomized evaluations and field experiments in development and conflict-affected settings globally. Directly comparable as a similarly structured non-profit that competes for the same donor-funded impact evaluation contracts in fragile states.
• Households in Conflict Network (HiCN): Global research network on conflict and household welfare, co-directed by ISDC's founder Tilman Brück. Closely comparable in research agenda (conflict, violence, household welfare), and ISDC is one of its institutional anchors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLe5EeO_4sOzOnxKJfNyMkw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isd-center

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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