The Elcano Royal Institute, global intelligence in Spanish.
Elcano Royal Institute is the leading Spanish research centre in international and strategic studies, and one of the key think tanks in Europe and the world.
Our name
The Elcano Royal Institute is named after Juan Sebastián Elcano, remembered by history as the navigator of the expedition that completed the circumnavigation of the globe.
Our mission
Established in 2001, the mission of the Elcano Royal Institute is to contribute to innovative, robust, inclusive and informed responses to global challenges and governance and to analyse the role of Spain in the world, with a particular emphasis on its position in Europe.
The Elcano aims to contribute innovative ideas to public debate for use by institutions, public administrations, the private sector, academia, research institutes, and civil society. It seeks to bring rigour, independence and pluralism and a wide range of perspectives to bear on our complex and rapidly changing world. To this end, the Elcano works in interdisciplinary teams, through ongoing exchange and dialogue with social actors, research centres, and national and international organisations and institutions.
Our values
Independence
Independent, rigorous and innovative thought.
Dialogue
Interdisciplinarity, diverse points of view and a wide range of approaches.
Sustainability
Commitment to the environment and to reducing our carbon footprint.
Equality & eliminating discrimination
Gender equality across our organization and in our public presence and activities, supported by the principle of non-discrimination.
Transparency and good governance
The principles of efficiency, transparency and accountability.
Our team
Corporate Governance
Established as a private foundation, the organisational structure of the Elcano Royal Institute balances public and private interests, promoting the exchange of ideas in a plural and independent setting that embraces a wide range of political and social perspectives. Its highest governing body is the Board of Trustees, whose Honorary President is HM King of Spain. It also has an Executive Committee, a Scientific Council and an Advisory Council, and numerous protectors and collaborating partners.
Experts
More than forty people make up the research core of the Elcano Royal Institute, a flexible team of experts combining senior research fellows, senior and associate analysts and research assistants, in addition to our extensive network of external collaborators.
The Elcano Team
The experts are supported by the executive and management team, in charge of the strategy, day-to-day management, communication and development of the organisation.
Elcano in Brussels
The Brussels Office aims to promote the Elcano’s international profile and to enhance the influence of Spanish-generated ideas in major European and transatlantic debates, actively participating in the agenda of the institutional headquarters of the European Union and NATO.
Our work
Publications
The Elcano’s research is published in a wide variety of publications, all of which are available to the public, from quick responses to international current affairs to in-depth studies, highlighting our concise analysis with policy recommendations on key issues.
Events
The Elcano organises a wide range of public and private events and meetings, face-to-face, virtual and hybrid, bringing the debate on international current affairs to a global audience.
Conversaciones Elcano
Conversaciones Elcano is the Elcano’s podcast (in Spanish), where we review, every two weeks and with the help of our research team and other experts, key issues on the international agenda.
Projects
The Elcano participates in publicly and privately funded international research programs, broadening the scope of its results and multiplying its collaborative networks.
Corporate Partners Programme
In an increasingly complex, interconnected and uncertain world, companies and institutions need to understand the keys to the international scenario to continue to prosper and adapt their responses to global challenges.
Entities that join the Elcano’s Corporate Partners Programme gain access to privileged knowledge of the geopolitical landscape through exclusive meetings and formats. At the same time, they support our mission to contribute to public debate with independent analysis and ideas on major global challenges, from a Spanish and European perspective.