The Nexus between Economic Development, Social Capital and Societal Resilience in the Baltic States

In today's complex global landscape, societies face emerging threats from cognitive warfare that targets human cognition to influence behaviours and destabilise societies. This project focuses on enhancing societal resilience against such threats, with a specific emphasis on the Baltic States: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, and investigates how cognitive warfare exploits societal vulnerabilities, including trust dynamics, social cohesion, and economic security. Existing theoretical literature and research have not extensively analysed the concepts of cognitive warfare and societal resilience thus project aims at developing a new theoretical knowledge.

The project is structured into three Work Packages, each building on the previous one to ensure a comprehensive approach: Develop a comprehensive theoretical framework and research methodology; Collect socio-economic and governance data through cabinet research, identify and interview key stakeholders influencing societal resilience across the Baltic States; Synthesise findings into a novel theoretical framework, benchmarking against the best practice examples and prepare policy briefs for Latvian policymakers.

Key deliverables include scientific publications, a monograph, and policy briefs. Public engagement is central, with regular updates via institutional websites, social media, conferences, and seminars. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders, the project aims to empower positive change and strengthen societal security against cognitive warfare threats.