503 Olivier Urrutia The role of Think Tanks in the definition and application of defence policies and strategies THE ROLE OF THINK TANKS IN THE DEFINITION AND APPLICATION OF DEFENCE POLICIES AND STRATEGIES 1: INTRODUCTION In a globalised world faced with increasingly complex relations and interactions, a world that generates an environment of risks and opportunities, the model of the Nation-State has changed and political governance has opened the door to other socio-political players. Think tanks – just like lobby groups, NGOs, public relations agencies, multinationals or transnational institutions – are being launched, at an exponential rate and with great authority, into the debate on and design of public policies in all areas: health, education, culture, law, economics, security, defence, environment, natural resources, energy and international relations. Think tanks influence national and international decision-making and are an additional resource for the political management of states. The combination of a context of different threats (terrorism, urban guerrillas, cyber wars, multiple trafficking, industrial espionage, knowledge wars, economic wars etc.) together with the economic crisis that has swept the globe since 2007, has led to a rethinking of the classic model of defence and security policies and of their economic management. Against this backdrop, new information and communications technologies (NICT) have revolutionised the traditional paradigm of the vertical construction of society: state – institutions – media – population. Instead, a step has been taken towards a more grid-like structuring of the world.1 The transformation process in the management of a state towards a more collaborative approach is a key point when facing up to these threats. The crisis has brought into question the governance model and the nature of the different uses of public or private expertise, essential when defining, evaluating, implementing or communicating appropriate global strategies. Think tanks are gaining importance as private expertise resources that influence national and international policies and public opinion, creating a space for dialogue between governments and civil society, and playing a role as mediator. We will look at how the intellectual diplomacy process is developing through the presen-ce of think tanks in the most representative geographical areas as regards centres of political and legislative power – mainly Brussels and New York. 1 CASTELLS, Manuel. La galaxie Internet, Paris : Fayard, 2002
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