On 13–14 March, SIPRI hosted a workshop in Stockholm on ‘The Space–Nuclear Nexus in Regional Contexts’.
The objective of the workshop, which involved over 30 international officials and experts, was to exchange views and identify common concerns about potential risks at the intersection of space security and nuclear weapons. It involved expert briefings on recent developments at the space–nuclear nexus and focused discussion on risk scenarios of particular concern.
The workshop examined growing trends in cooperation on space and nuclear issues across states and regions, including in the context of formal alliances, defense pacts and broader strategic partnerships. It sought to unpack the drivers of this cooperation, including the threat perceptions of involved states, as well as the implications for potential misperceptions and miscalculations, with the aim of identifying possible measures to reduce space–nuclear risk.
This workshop was part of an ongoing research project to examine risks at the space–nuclear nexus, which has included events convened in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee. The project started in 2023 and is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.