News Archive - Hybrid CoE - The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats

March 31, 2025

JEF course sharpens understanding of hybrid threats among defence planners

A Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Hybrid Threats Awareness Course, developed and delivered by Hybrid CoE, was held on 24–28 March 2025 with the aim of enhancing operational planning capabilities in a sub-threshold environment. The course brought together mid- to senior-ranking civilian and military officers from JEF forces and headquarters for an in-depth exploration of hybrid threats across domains.

Designed with a focus on knowledge transfer, cross-community networking, and practical application, the course examined key aspects of hybrid activity, from information operations to cyber threats and the protection of critical national infrastructure. It was developed jointly by Hybrid CoE’s Training and Exercises team in collaboration with its Communities of Interest (COIs) on Vulnerabilities and Resilience, Strategy and Defence, and Hybrid Influence, supported by the Research and Analysis function.

The curriculum provided a structured progression through conceptual foundations and practical tools. It opened with an introduction to hybrid threats and their actors, particularly Russia and China, followed by modules on disinformation, deterrence, strategic communications, cyber defence, and cognitive warfare. The Finnish Comprehensive Security Model and the CORE resilience framework featured as key case studies.

A central feature of the course was the “Hybrid Commander: SISU” wargame, a scenario-based exercise allowing participants to test their skills and insights in simulated hybrid threat conflict situations. The wargame integrated elements from earlier modules and challenged participants to apply their understanding of hybrid threat interactions in a planning context.

By combining conceptual depth with practical case studies, the JEF Hybrid Threats Awareness Course supported the identification and development of linkages between strategic and operational planning across domains relevant to modern hybrid conflict. It also served as a platform for relationship-building among officials from JEF nations, contributing to broader efforts to enhance civil-military cooperation in countering hybrid threats.

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March 21, 2025

Job Opening: HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS

The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) is seeking a HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS to lead its internal and external communications function. The Head of Communications will also play an active role in day-to-day communication activities.

Together with the communications team they lead, the Head of Communications is responsible for planning and managing day-to-day communications, the Centre’s publication process, online presence, media relations, event management, strategic communications, and crisis communications preparedness.

The Head of Communications works in close cooperation with the Centre’s leadership and is a member of the Centre’s Executive Team.

The position is for a four-year term.

Requirements:

An academic degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field
Solid communications experience, including an understanding of strategic communications to advance organizational goals
Demonstrated leadership skills and strong supervisory experience
Excellent communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and to coordinate activities effectively
Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
Excellent command of written and spoken English
Willingness to travel
Citizenship of one of Hybrid CoE’s Participating States

Preferred qualifications:

Good knowledge of security policy and/or hybrid threat-related issues
Experience working in an international environment, particularly in an EU/NATO context

We offer an interesting and dynamic position in a stimulating international environment.

The European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats is an international expert organization of 36 Participating States with a Secretariat in Helsinki, Finland. The Centre employs around 50 experts of different nationalities, and the working language is English.

Hybrid CoE’s mission is to strengthen the security of its Participating States and organizations by providing expertise and training in countering hybrid threats. Hybrid CoE operates through networks of government officials, researchers, and private sector representatives whose activities are managed and coordinated by the Secretariat.

The person selected for the position will be required to undergo a security clearance.

Applications, including a letter of motivation, CV, and a salary request, should be submitted to info@hybridcoe.fi no later than 16:00 CET on 10 April 2025.

For further information, please contact:

Director Teija Tiilikainen (teija.tiilikainen@hybridcoe.fi). Applicants preferring to make enquiries by phone should make arrangements with PA Suvi Järvinen (suvi.jarvinen@hybridcoe.fi).

January 21, 2025

Konstantin Bellini starts as Director of Community of Interest on Strategy and Defence

Mr Konstantin Bellini took up the position of Director of Community of Interest on Strategy and Defence (COI S&D) at Hybrid CoE on 7 January 2025.

Mr Bellini has more than 30 years of service in the German armed forces. His various assignments include missions and deployments in the Balkans and in Afghanistan, as well as at NATO Headquarters. As a General Staff Officer, he has held several positions at the German Ministry of Defence. He has served as the German Defence Attache to Finland and Estonia, and again later in the region to Lithuania and Latvia. Most recently, Mr Bellini was a lecturer in security policy in the German Command and General Staff course at the Führungsakademie of the Bundeswehr in Hamburg.

“I am very pleased to welcome Konstantin Bellini to support our work at Hybrid CoE. As the security environment is becoming increasingly problematic, the focus on forms of hybrid warfare and the interface between the use of civilian and military tools will need to be strengthened, and proper countermeasures identified, to protect democratic societies. With his extensive expertise and experience, Konstantin’s role as the director of COI Strategy and Defence will be crucial, both in this framework and in Hybrid CoE’s work in general,” says Dr Teija Tiilikainen, Director of Hybrid CoE.

“It’s great to become a member of this unique team. The serious and continuously growing threat to our societies and our understanding of freedom underpins the importance of the Centre’s work. It will be terrific to contribute to our common effort to counter hybrid threats and to work within this framework with all our allies and friends,” says Mr Bellini.

The Community of Interest on Strategy and Defence focuses on hybrid warfare, related strategies and implications for security policy, the military and defence. The overarching objective of COI S&D is to provide expertise for Participating States, the EU and NATO for the purposes of fostering a common and comprehensive understanding in countering and responding to hybrid threats and crises.

November 29, 2024

Experts trained in Helsinki on the role of cyber in hybrid conflict

From 25 to 29 November 2024, Hybrid CoE hosted the third and latest iteration of the course ‘The Contribution of Cyber in Hybrid Conflict’, organized in cooperation with the European Defence Agency (EDA) under the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) framework. The course brought together 34 participants from 21 nations, including EU Member States, as well as Switzerland, Canada, Ukraine, and Japan. The event focused on educating participants on the increasing convergence of cyber and hybrid threats, and on fostering collaboration across diverse fields of expertise.

During the course, participants attended lectures addressing the key concepts of cyber and hybrid threats, their implications for modern conflicts, and strategies for countering such challenges.

The course also featured a decision-making tabletop exercise (TTX), which challenged participants to apply their knowledge in a multi-turn adversarial scenario. Teams representing fictional nations assumed roles akin to their real-life positions as senior advisors to political leaders. They worked collaboratively to analyze emerging crisis situations, develop strategic responses to hybrid threats, and employ national power tools to achieve policy objectives.

This year’s exercise drew on lessons from real-world events, such as Russia’s war against Ukraine and China’s assertive moves in the Pacific region. The inclusion of Ukrainian and Japanese participants and speakers added valuable perspectives, further underlining the global relevance of addressing the multifaceted threat landscape, which involves dynamic interaction between cyber and hybrid threats.

Recognized by the EU, EDA, and ESDC, the course is part of ongoing efforts to enhance collective resilience against cyber and hybrid threats.

November 11, 2024

Teija Tiilikainen appointed Director of Hybrid CoE for a second term

Teija Tiilikainen, Doctor of Political Science, has been appointed Director of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) for a five-year term from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029.

The appointment was made by Hybrid CoE’s Steering Board at their meeting on 8 November 2024.

Dr Tiilikainen has led the Centre since 2019. Prior to her appointment to this position, she was Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) from 2010 to 2019. Previously, Dr Tiilikainen also served as Director of the Network of European Studies at the University of Helsinki (2003–2009) and as Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland from 2007 to 2008.

“I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity to continue working for such an important and policy-relevant organization as Hybrid CoE. I am also grateful for the continued trust that the Centre’s Participating States have shown in me through this appointment. Together with the Centre’s professional staff, we will intensify our efforts to protect Euro-Atlantic states and societies from the ever-increasing hybrid threats,” Dr Tiilikainen said.

“I am very pleased that Dr Teija Tiilikainen was chosen for the position. During her previous term as Director, she has demonstrated leadership and management qualities to a high degree, particularly evident in the further development of Hybrid CoE from a startup into a professional, permanent expert institution within the EU-NATO security architecture,” said Jarmo Lindberg, Chair of the Steering Board of Hybrid CoE.

“Dr Tiilikainen possesses remarkable knowledge of current security policy processes and a comprehensive understanding of hybrid threats. Her extensive international network – encompassing leaders, universities, think tanks, and other Centres of Excellence – has helped to enhance Hybrid CoE’s importance, as reflected in the recent achievement of universal participation in the Centre by all EU and NATO members,” Jarmo Lindberg added.

Hybrid CoE’s mission is to strengthen its Participating States’ security by providing expertise and training for countering hybrid threats, and by enhancing EU-NATO cooperation in this respect. The Centre is an autonomous hub for practitioners and experts, located in Helsinki, Finland. As of June 2024, the Centre’s 36 Participating States encompass all EU member states and NATO Allies.

October 14, 2024

Western Balkans in focus at countering disinformation wargame and conference in Vienna

For the first time, Hybrid CoE organized a region-specific countering disinformation wargame and conference, focusing on the Western Balkans, from 7 to 10 October in Vienna, Austria. The real-world simulation on how to recognize, respond to, and defend against disinformation was the ninth in a series of wargaming events designed to build the capacities of democratic states and their populations to counter disinformation from authoritarian regimes.

“We need to identify our vulnerabilities to be able to defend against malign actors striving to exploit our weak points through versatile hybrid threat tactics,” commented Director of Hybrid CoE Teija Tiilikainen in her opening remarks.

The wargaming sessions in Vienna simulated a major earthquake scenario in the Balkans, with malign actors taking advantage of the natural disaster in the information space, including through the use of novel AI tools. Among the training audience were eight national teams from Hybrid CoE’s Participating States, including three teams from the Western Balkans region. In total, 20 nationalities were represented among the officials participating in and running the wargaming sessions, organized by Hybrid CoE in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence.

“The primary goal of the countering disinformation wargame is to equip participants with the necessary tools and strategies to effectively recognize and counter disinformation threats in an increasingly complex information landscape,” said Shiho Rybski, Director of Training & Exercises at Hybrid CoE.

“The strength of our response to disinformation in the Western Balkans lies not only in our individual efforts, but in our ability to work together across borders, sharing knowledge and resources to bolster our collective defences,” Ms Rybski added.

At the Demystifying Disinformation conference held prior to the wargaming sessions, the latest trends in countering disinformation were discussed, including the growing role of AI, as well as the value of regional cooperation and civil society in defending against disinformation.

A recording of the Demystifying Disinformation conference can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/5sXkObzdTsU

August 28, 2024

Wargaming courses focus on resilience of critical infrastructure

The need to increase the resilience of critical infrastructure sites in EU and NATO countries was the sole focus of two wargaming courses organized by Hybrid CoE in conjunction with the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). The courses, held in Helsinki between 12 and 23 August, brought together a diverse group of operational planners and officials from institutions such as the EU, NATO, MFAs, MODs, and MOIs of the Centre’s Participating States. Eleven countries were represented among the participants.

“Focusing on wargaming topics such as critical infrastructure protection is essential as it allows us to prepare for potential threats and cascading effects, ensuring our resilience in the face of uncertainty. By simulating scenarios, we can protect the backbone of our society, safeguarding not just assets but also the continued functioning of our communities,” said Ms Shiho Rybski, Director of Training & Exercises at Hybrid CoE.

The courses have been designed with a clear goal in mind: to teach the practical tools and techniques of wargaming in a hybrid threat environment. This essential skill is not just theoretical, but directly applicable to planning, strategic thinking, and decision-making in the real world.

“The synergy of having participants with such a wide range of diverse expertise created an outstanding learning environment and set the conditions for two great hybrid wargames to be developed,” commented Jeff Appleget, Wargaming Director at the US Naval Postgraduate School.

The courses took place in Helsinki for the fourth time, but have been conducted by the NPS around the world since 2011. This time, they consisted of a basic element, focusing on foundational wargaming principles and techniques, and an advanced element, delving further into wargame refinement techniques, specifically designed for Hybrid CoE to allow for an in-depth exploration of the topical issue of critical infrastructure protection.

June 13, 2024

Albania joins Hybrid CoE – completing the participation of all EU and NATO countries

On 13 June, the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats had the pleasure of welcoming Mr Igli Hasani, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania. Mr Hasani visited the Centre to hand over the Letter of Notification to Director Teija Tiilikainen, officially making Albania the 36th Participating State of Hybrid CoE and completing the participation of all EU and NATO countries in the Centre’s activities.

“On behalf of Hybrid CoE, I would like to welcome Albania to the Centre. Albania will add a very important geopolitical component to our knowledge base and help the Centre fulfil its mandate in countering hybrid threats,” Director Teija Tiilikainen stated. “Thanks to Albania’s accession, Hybrid CoE now encompasses all EU and NATO members, which is a great achievement and signals the willingness of the Euro-Atlantic community to counter hybrid threats in a strongly united manner.”

“We are delighted to join Hybrid CoE, which now includes all NATO Allies and EU member states. This signifies a very important step forward for Albania, and we are keen to contribute to the Centre’s vital mission,” Minister Hasani said. “We bring a spirit of collaboration and a thirst for knowledge, ready to learn from the vast experience of other Participating States and to share our own insights. Together, we can build a more secure and resilient future, not just for Albania, but for the entire Euro-Atlantic region.”

In addition to Albania, the Centre of Excellence includes the following Participating States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Centre cooperates closely with the EU and NATO.

June 11, 2024

Ukrainian professors trained on the use of game-based methods for countering hybrid threats

Hybrid CoE and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) delivered a train-the-trainer course to Ukrainian universities on the use of game-based methods for training and foresight in countering hybrid threats. The course was part of the Erasmus+ project “Academic Response to Hybrid Threats” (WARN), coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä and hosted by ECAM-EPMI (Graduate School of Electrical Engineering) in Cergy, France, from 14 to16 May, 2024.

During the course, 23 professors from Ukrainian universities were trained to design dilemma and matrix games for professional use. These games were applied to complex decision-making scenarios on countering hybrid threats. The course focused on current and future vulnerabilities in Ukrainian society, the ways in which these vulnerabilities could be exploited by Russia, and how to counter such exploitation. Vulnerabilities that could be targeted during Ukraine’s path to EU membership were a central theme during the course.

June 3, 2024

Martha Turnbull appointed Director of Community of Interest on Hybrid Influence

Martha Turnbull took up the position of Director of the Community of Interest on Hybrid Influence (COI HI) at Hybrid CoE on 29 May 2024.

“Martha’s broad expertise on hybrid threat-related issues will strengthen Hybrid CoE’s knowledge base, and I am very happy to welcome her to lead COI HI,” said Director Teija Tiilikainen. “I also very much look forward to working with her in the Centre’s leadership, as Martha will be joining the executive team.”

Martha is a career diplomat in the UK Foreign Service and has spent the past 15 years working on various national security issues, including hybrid threats and counter-terrorism. She was previously posted to Abu Dhabi as the Gulf Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, responsible for overseeing the UK’s counter-terrorism support to five Gulf States. More recently, Martha has been based in London as one of the Deputy Heads of the State Threats Unit, with responsibility for analysis, data, and open source reporting.

“I’m delighted to take up this role and to promote the UK’s ongoing support for the Centre. The threats we face continue to evolve, so the Centre’s work is vital in order to share understanding and promote best practice. I look forward to working with all the Participating States over the course of my posting,” Martha commented.