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Study Centre · SMGM

Sovereignty and geopolitical shifts at sea

Power rivalries and control of traffic flows: maritime security, naval doctrines and the critical importance of underwater and port infrastructure.

The Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz at night, as seen from the International Space Station

NASA/Tim Kopra / Wikimedia Commons (image source, new tab) — Domaine public

Introduction

At the intersection of the blue economy and contemporary geopolitics, the Centre for the Study of the Ocean (SMGM) examines how the economic exploitation of the ocean exacerbates rivalries for power and attempts to control maritime flows. By focusing their research on key areas of tension and transit, notably the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific, its members analyse shifts in maritime security and the reorganisation of naval defence doctrines.

Mission

Particular attention is paid to the protection and critical importance of subsea and port infrastructure, foremost among which are subsea communication cables and strategic shipping routes. The aim is to understand how control over traffic flows, the seabed and key chokepoints makes the ocean a crucial arena for the projection of sovereignty.

Areas of focus

SMGM — 6 axes

  1. Saildrone Explorer surface drone sailing in the Gulf of Aqaba

    U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dawson Roth / Wikimedia Commons (image source, new tab) — Domaine public

    Area 01

    Hybrid warfare at sea

  2. The Global Sentinel cable-laying vessel at sea

    Nc tech3 / Wikimedia Commons (image source, new tab) — CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence, new tab)

    Area 02

    Vulnerability of critical infrastructure

  3. The Black Sea as seen from a satellite

    NASA / Wikimedia Commons (image source, new tab) — Domaine public

    Area 03

    The sea as an echo chamber for land-based conflicts

  4. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, as seen from satellite

    Coordenação-Geral de Observação da Terra/INPE / Wikimedia Commons (image source, new tab) — CC BY-SA 2.0 (licence, new tab)

    Area 04

    Checkpoints as levers of power

  5. Aircraft carriers sailing in formation, including the Charles de Gaulle

    U.S. Nav photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bela Chambers / Wikimedia Commons (image source, new tab) — Domaine public

    Area 05

    Reorganisation of naval defence doctrines

  6. The Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Nile Valley as seen from the International Space Station

    NASA / Wikimedia Commons (image source, new tab) — Domaine public

    Area 06

    The Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific

Publications

View all the centre’s publications

5 of 5 publications shown

Join the centre

  • Chair · SMGM

    Volunteer

    Scientific Coordinator — SMGM Centre

    To manage the SMGM (Maritime Sovereignty and Geopolitical Change) Study Centre: to plan its work, coordinate its contributors and oversee its publications, in collaboration with the Chair’s management.

    Availability
    4 to 6 hours a week

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