enterprise. A post-secondary institution, such as a universied by the 16 currently NATO accredited COEs, there is ty research institute specializing in cyber security, could immense potential for Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, and Malta also become a contributing partner of the CCD COE. – not to mention Finland and Sweden – to be engaged Even partnerships between COEs themselves have taken more actively in the research work of the COEs. place and have produced considerable results. In close cooperation with the Combined Joint Operations from the Notes Sea COE, the COE on Operations in Confined and Shal1 low Waters organizes an annual Maritime Security ConferStewart, Emma J. The European Union and Conflict Prevenence. The next such tion: Policy Evolution and Outcome. (2006). Piscataway, conference, set to take New Jersey: Transaction. p.216 place in June 2012 in ...private institutions can benefit signifi- 2NATO. (2011). Centres of Excellence. Available from: Halifax, Canada, will cantly from engagement with COEs in <http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/ include seminars on practical aspects other than access to the topics_68372.htm> timely issues, such as 3 the employment of UnCOE’s network of contacts. Finnish Ministry of Defence. (2010, September 9). manned Aerial Vehicles Northern Coasts 10. Available from: <http:// in coastal areas or harwww.puolustusvoimat.fi/wcm/Erikoissivustot/ bour protection6. noco2010/English/Overview/> More specific to private-public partnerships in the context of COEs, there has already been some exciting progress made in this regard. For example, the aforementioned CCD COE hosts the annual International Conference on Cyber Conflict. In June 2011, the third edition of this conference was held in Tallinn, with 380 experts from around the world in attendance. These attendees included academics and private IT professionals. The Conference was supported with financing from the EU Regional Development Fund, but the CCD COE also obtained agreements from two private sector co-sponsors: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and RSA NetWitness7. In short, public-private and NATO-EU partnerships were being explored on a very practical, results-based manner through the 2011 International Conference on Cyber Conflict, with a NATO COE coordinating the event, the EU financially supporting it, and two private organizations co-sponsoring it. Initiatives like the International Conference on Cyber Conflict in Tallinn or the upcoming Maritime Security Conference in Halifax are important first steps in engaging diverse partners in the work of NATO COEs. However, if these research centres are to reach their full potential in generating political will for a lasting NATO-EU partnership, more intensive efforts are required on the part of all relevant parties – NATO, ACT, Host Nations, Sponsoring Nations, and the COEs themselves – to involve nonNATO EU Member States and private/civic organizations as contributing partners. The Finnish Navy identified building its operational capabilities in confined and shallow waters as a strategic priority and, perhaps as a result of its previous experience collaborating with the CSW COE through the Northern Coasts exercises, determined that a closer relationship with that COE as a contributing partner was a logical pooling of resources. In time, perhaps the Swedish Navy will come to a similar conclusion. But with the diverse array of expertise and specializations represent-
Atlantic Voices Volume I Issue 1
COE CSW. (2011). Northern Coasts 2010. Available from: <http://www.coecsw.org/programm-of-work/trials/31northern-coasts-2010.html> 4
CCD COE. (2011). Terms of Participation. Available from: <http://www.ccdcoe.org/44.html> 5
COE CSW. (2011). Upcoming Events – Maritime Security Conference 2012. Available from: <http://www.coecsw.org/ events/upcoming-events.html> 6
CCD COE. (2011). 3rd International Conference on Cyber Conflict. Available from: <http://www.ccdcoe.org/ICCC/> 7
The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the author. They do not necessarily represent the views of the Atlantic Treaty Association, it’s members, affiliates or staff. 10