Over the last 15 years, the international security situation has changed dramatically. The possibility of a global and possibly nuclear war – that was very unlikely even in the era of the Cold War – now seems almost unthinkable. At the same time, however, new security threats are facing a modern and globalised society. The lines between “outside” and “inside” the state are being continually redrawn in the process, and in many cases, they are being completely erased. This paper will highlight some important research topics that should be of importance in order to support efforts to respond to the changed security environment.

The author volunteered to give a presentation at the workshop on a relatively short notice when Björn Sundelius had to withdraw his paper with the title “The Scandinavian Model”. This paper is based on security related research in Norway, in particular at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment.