Benedict (Ben) Wilkinson is Director of the Defence, Security and Justice Research Group at RAND Europe.
Wilkinson has more than 15 years of experience conducting research and analysis on defence strategy, policy, and national security. His research interests centre on military strategy, strategic competition between major powers, the impact of emerging technologies on defence, and the future of UK and European security.
He has led major projects for clients including the UK Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), European Parliament, European Commission, and NATO. Recent work has focused on the strategic implications of China’s rise, the impact of technological innovation and great power competition on national and international security, and the future of defence capability. He has also contributed to studies on resilience, critical national infrastructure, and the defence industrial base.
Wilkinson has published numerous articles, reports, and policy papers, and is the author of two books, including his latest on terrorism as a failed strategy (Hurst/Oxford University Press).
Prior to joining RAND Europe, Wilkinson was Director of Research at the Policy Institute, King’s College London, and held senior roles at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the Royal College of Defence Studies. He holds a Ph.D. in war studies from King’s College London, where he was supervised by Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman.
Ph.D. in war studies, King's College London; M.A. in terrorism and security, King's College London; B.A. and M.Phil. in classics, University of Cambridge
