The King’s Centre for Defence Economics and Management (KCDEM) aspires to become a global hub of academic excellence dedicated to advancing innovative, policy-relevant research and education in the field of defence economics and management. Its central mission is to act as a leading node in a growing international network of scholars, policymakers, military professionals, and industry partners who are committed to shaping and improving how defence institutions operate and allocate resources in an era of intensifying geostrategic challenges.

KCDEM seeks to bridge the longstanding gap between academic insight and practical defence policy by promoting rigorous, interdisciplinary research that delivers real-world impact. As a part of the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London, based at the UK Defence Academy, the Centre benefits from decades of strategic engagement with the UK Ministry of Defence, enabling it to play a unique role in shaping national and international defence discourse.

While grounded in the UK context, KCDEM addresses defence economics and management as inherently global issues. With the sharpest rise in global defence spending in over a decade, and with technological shifts such as AI reshaping command, control, and logistics, the Centre is positioned to help states and alliances improve decision-making, enhance transparency, and foster greater efficiency and innovation in defence governance.

The Centre’s research and engagement activities will span the past, present, and future of defence economics and management, with an emphasis on key themes such as:

• Efficiency and innovation in defence spending
• Organisational performance and leadership in military institutions
• The political economy of rearmament and defence planning
• Integration of AI and data science into defence management
• International and multilateral cooperation in defence policy and acquisition
• Defence capability development in response to evolving threats
• Civil-military relations and accountability in defence governance

KCDEM operates as a vibrant academic and policy platform through a range of activities including applied research projects, PhD supervision, professional short courses, policy publications, international conferences and workshops. These initiatives aim to educate the next generation of defence economists and managers, influence high-level decision-making, and reinvigorate a field that is too often overlooked despite its strategic importance.

By creating space for sustained, evidence-based dialogue and by promoting best practices across sectors, KCDEM welcomes collaboration with all those who share its commitment to improving defence outcomes in the 21st century.