Expert Insights

What does the future hold for the ways in which space will be utilised? In this Expert Insights podcast, James Black and Linda Slapakova discuss the potential uses of space out to 2050, ranging from defence, manufacturing, climate protection, and tourism.

The role of facts and data in public life in Europe is changing and a new study has found evidence of the signs of #TruthDecay. However, there is still time to act and help prevent or slow its growth. Senior researchers Axelle Devaux and Stijn Hoorens discuss the research in the Expert Insights podcast.

Increasing digitalisation has changed the nature of work, making digital skills an essential attribute for the modern workforce. However, the demand for digital skills is outpacing the supply, creating a global digital skills ‘gap’. RAND Europe researchers Salil Gunashekar and Carolina Feijao discuss what is driving the digital skills gap and how organisations could address the issue.

What does European strategic autonomy in defence mean for the EU, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and EU-US relations? In this Expert Insights podcast, Lucia Retter, Stephanie Pezard, and Stephen Flanagan discuss the path towards greater EU defence integration and factors that affect how this autonomy develops going forward.

How do researchers expect the types of research they produce to change in the next 5 to 10 years? In this Expert Insights podcast, Catriona Manville and Susan Guthrie discuss the future of the research landscape and how changes may affect the nature of research assessment in the UK.

What is the value of defence? RAND Europe Defence, Security and Infrastructure director Ruth Harris and Research Leader James Black examine the ‘value proposition’ of UK defence, to provide a better understanding of why defence exists and explore how the value it brings to the nation can be better articulated across government, to partners and to the wider public.

Senior analyst Lucia Retter, is joined by Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, the non-executive director for climate change and sustainability for UK Defence, to discuss a study on the implications of climate change for UK defence logistics in crisis response situations, and how the research has informed the UK Ministry of Defence’s Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach.

Jon Sussex, chief economist at RAND Europe, is joined by senior analyst Hui Lu in a discussion about their study on how the U.K. public thinks funding for the National Health Service (NHS) and social care should be raised.

Ruth Harris, research director for the Defence, Security, and Infrastructure group at RAND Europe, is joined by senior political scientist Stephen Flanagan and international defence researcher Gene Germanovich in a discussion about their study on enhancing deterrence and defence on NATO's northern flank. The coauthors share insights into how Norway's NATO allies view its opportunities and challenges in the High North region.

RAND Europe analyst Linda Slapakova talks with RAND senior behavioral scientist William Marcellino about their study on human-machine detection of online-based malign information. They discuss how their report used a combination of human analysis and machine learning to identify disinformation on social media in the context of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and how their hybrid human and machine learning model can be used to help address similar challenges in the future.