Study 12 May 2026

Out of the Dependency Trap

Germany and the EU remain dependent on China for critical raw materials essential to defense, green technologies, and digital industries, exposing Europe to economic coercion and supply disruptions. This study looks at past policy efforts, explores why they fell short and offers recommendations to strengthen German and European resilience.

Critical Raw Materials: Reducing Strategic Dependencies in Germany and Europe

Over the past decades, China has become dominant in many critical raw materials (CRM) supply chains, particularly in midstream segments. In certain cases, Germany and Europe are almost entirely reliant on supplies from China.

Two current GPPi projects are delving into the debates on raw materials supply chain security and strategic autonomy, aiming to equip policymakers and industry leaders with actionable recommendations.

Learn more about our work on how Germany can overcome the structural obstacles that have hampered its resilience efforts, as well as our research on what realistic, mutually beneficial CRM partnerships between European and African actors could look like.

Study

Prioritizing Opportunities in Development Policy

In times of shrinking financial resources, German development cooperation should focus more on demonstrable effectiveness and realistic goals. This study suggests that funds should be allocated where local conditions offer a genuine chance of success.

Interview series

Aid, Rebuilt

The humanitarian system is cracking under internal and external pressures. How can we renew and rebuild the system to make it more robust, fair and effective? Together with humanitarian experts and practitioners, we explore what a renewal of the humanitarian system could look like.

Article

Rationales in the Dark

We know Russia and China engage in malign foreign operations to influence EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans and the so-called Eastern Neighborhood. What we know surprisingly little about is why

New Research: Future of Global Governance

The ENSURED project recently published five brand-new research reports on the effectiveness, robustness, and democratic character of key institutions and systems governing global artificial intelligence, biodiversity, global health, sex and gender (women’s & queer rights), and global taxation.

If you’re following debates about the future of global governance, you won’t want to miss this important research.

Explore the Findings
Interview

Unabhängig von China werden? „Es braucht eigentlich gar nicht so viel“

Die Industrie ist bei kritischen Rohstoffen auf Lieferungen aus China angewiesen. Doch Peking nutzt unsere Abhängigkeit für politischen Zwang. Florian Klumpp kennt die Auswege aus der Rohstoff-Falle.

Interview

Deutsche ODA: “Entscheidend ist, die übrigen Mittel gezielt einzusetzen”

Entwicklungszusammenarbeit und humanitäre Hilfe müssen in den nächsten Jahren mit weiteren Einschnitten rechnen. Umso wichtiger ist jetzt die Frage: Wie können wir strategisch mit knapper werdenden Mitteln umgehen?

Project

Shaping What’s Next: A Practical Guide to Foresight

Strategic foresight can help us navigate our uncertain future. But German civil society and public institutions lack practical guidance on how to incorporate futures thinking into their work. To bridge this gap, we’re developing an accessible and stakeholder-informed resource.

Project

Zukunft gestalten: Praxisleitfaden strategische Vorausschau

Strategische Vorausschau kann uns helfen, in ungewissen Zeiten Orientierung zu finden. Der deutschen Zivilgesellschaft und öffentlichen Institutionen fehlen jedoch häufig die Mittel, um Zukunftsdenken systematisch in ihre Arbeit zu integrieren. Um diese Lücke zu schließen, entwickeln wir eine zugängliche Ressource, die auf die Bedürfnisse der relevanten Interessengruppen abgestimmt ist.

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Commentary

Die ungenutzte Chance Deutschlands in Brasilien

Deutschland steht sich selbst im Weg, wenn es um die Unabhängigkeit bei seltenen Erden geht. Die Trump-Regierung zeigt den besseren Weg.

Policy brief

Strategic Policy Recommendations to Bolster EU Candidate Country Resilience until 2035

EU candidate countries are increasingly at risk of foreign influence from authoritarian actors. EU enlargement policy needs to take this into account and help candidate countries become more resilient. This brief offers three forward-looking recommendations.