On 17–18 November, as part of a research project supported by the Global Challenges Foundation, SIPRI hosted a dialogue in Stockholm on the ‘Governance of Multidomain Escalation Risk’.
The two-day event convened a group of international experts and policymakers to discuss the intersection of emerging technologies and nuclear weapons, with particular attention given to how military operations involving the cyber and outer space domains can contribute to more varied pathways to escalation. Through a mixture of briefings, thematic sessions and small group discussions, participants shared existing thinking on multidomain deterrence and operations, identified key developments within different technologies and domains, and considered the consequences for escalation and the risk of nuclear use. The group also explored how these phenomena manifested in regional security environments, including in the Euro-Atlantic and the Asia-Pacific.
In light of multidomain operations and thinking and their impacts on regional and strategic stability, the dialogue also centred on identifying concrete options for reducing risk across different time frames, including through global governance.