Dr Francesca Giovannini

Dr Giovannini is an Associate Researcher with the SIPRI Armament and Disarmament Programme, and a leading practitioner-scholar specializing in nuclear strategy, European security, and emerging geopolitical risks. As Executive Director of the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard University, she leads interdisciplinary research on mitigating nuclear risks and developing new frameworks to prevent unintended escalation between major power rivals. Recently, she has spearheaded initiatives exploring the nexus between civil nuclear energy, sustainable development goals (SDGs), and climate resilience. At Harvard, Dr Giovannini established the Research Network on Rethinking Nuclear Deterrence, a 15-university consortium, and co-led a high-level task force investigating the drivers of potential nuclear proliferation.

Drawing on advisory roles at the UN and CTBTO, her work increasingly centers on the "security-industrial nexus." she provides expert analysis to international organizations and governments on how de-industrialization, energy dependencies, and technological shifts reshape European defensive sovereignty. Dr Giovannini holds two Master’s degrees from UC Berkeley and a Doctorate from the University of Oxford.