The Institute’s Center for Maritime Analysis provides research and course instruction intended to engage and bolster civil society, governments, and the private sectors’ understanding of the security, geopolitical, and economic realities that intersect within the global maritime domain.  The expansion of international trade as a result of globalization has led to tremendous shifts in the way international relations practitioners engage issues occurring within the international maritime environment.  Commercial shipping lanes, ports, cargo, and the greater international maritime supply chain are becoming increasingly vulnerable to disruptions caused by macro and micro-level security, geopolitical, and economic shifts.  

     As global maritime trade continues to expand—touching more nations, cities, and ports—the international maritime supply chain will continually garner the attention of international relations practitioners, corporations, governments, law enforcement organizations, and warfighters.  State and non-state actors to include entities operating maritime transient business networks will face greater risk than ever operating in a maritime environment that is increasingly beset with volatile supply chain interruptions, corruption, and the utilization of supply chain components for nefarious purposes.   

     All of the preceding factors impact international relations policy, analysis, decision making, and strategy within the international maritime domain as well as the risk profiles of multi-national businesses operating in and around the maritime supply chain.  The Center for Maritime Analysis provides new ideas to assess and mitigate maritime risk factors through an analysis of the vulnerabilities inherent in maritime hubs, vessels moving cargo, and the entire global maritime supply chain.