Bruno Oliveira Martins

Senior Researcher

Research Interests

My main research interests lie on the intersection between technological developments, security practices, and societal change. In 2022 / 2023 I work on different projects on emerging security technologies. These include RegulAir (a large, multi-annual research project on the integration of drones in the civilian airspace, that I lead), TRANSCEND (a Horizon Europe project dealing with societal impacts of EU security research, where I am WP leader), and Disruptive Security Technologies: Challenges to Norway’s Total Defence Concept (dealing with with how new technologies generate vulnerabilities and pose challenges to the total defence concept, a project that I lead).

I am interested in several issues within the wider security studies agenda, and I've researched, taught and published on EU's security and defence policies, including counter-terrorism, EU-Israel-Palestine relations, and the politics of security and defence research and innovation. 

Background

​I am a senior researcher at PRIO, where I am coordinator of the Security Research Group and a member of the Law & Ethics Research Group, the PRIO Middle East Centre, and the PRIO Migration Centre.

Professional background:

  • 2017-19: Postdoctoral Fellow, Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM), Malmö University
  • 2017: Guest researcher, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo
  • 2013-2016: Postdoc / Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University
  • 2013-14: External Lecturer, Department of Political Science, University of Southern Denmark
  • 2010-14: Researcher, University of Minho, Project Strategic Partnerships in EU's Foreign Policy
  • 2011: Visiting Fellow, European University Institute, Florence
  • 2010: Visiting Fellow, Egmont Institute, Brussels
  • 2008: Political Analyst, Delegation of the European Commission in Israel.
  • 2008: EuroMeSCo Exchange Researcher, Ben-Gurion University, Israel. Research Project Undocumented Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Israel
  • 2006-08: Researcher, Institute for Strategic and international Studies (IEEI), Lisbon

Education

  • 2014: PhD in Political Science, University of Minho, Portugal.
  • 2008: MA in European Studies, University of Minho, Portugal
  • 2003: Licenciatura (5 year graduation) in Law, Portuguese Catholic University.

Languages

  • Fluent: Portuguese (mother tongue), English, Spanish
  • Intermediate: Norwegian, Italian
  • Basic: Danish, French 

Research Groups

Full member:

PRIO Departments

Current
Historical

PRIO Projects

Ongoing:
Finished:

Events

PRIO started tracking events online in 2007. This listing is not complete. Past events may be mentioned in our news archive.

Publications

​In this link you may find a complete list of my pre-PRIO work (books, peer-reviewed articles, journal special issues, peer-reviewed book chapters, reports, etc.), i.e that were published before I joined PRIO in late 2017. From that pre-PRIO period, some selected publications are listed below, together will all my PRIO works. 

Recent Publications

Martins, Bruno Oliveira; Pinar Tank & Beste İşleyen (2023) Turkish Drones as a Foreign Policy Tool: A Technology-Mediated Search for Autonomy, MidEast Policy Brief, 1. Oslo: PRIO.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Daniel Pinéu (2022) Security and Geostrategy, in Fernandes, Jorge M.; Pedro C. Magalhães; & António C. Pinto, eds, The Oxford Handbook of Portuguese Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hirblinger, Andreas; Julie Marie Hansen; Kristian Hoelscher; Åshild Kolås; Kristoffer Lidén & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2022) Digital Peacebuilding: A Framework for Critical–Reflexive Engagement, International Studies Perspectives. DOI: 10.1093/isp/ekac015.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2022) Drones over Norway: A Security and Regulatory Analysis, PRIO Blogs, 23 October.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2022) Tecnologia, segurança e sociedade: desafios para o futuro estratégico de Portugal, in Luis Tomé, ed., Janus 2022. Lisbon: OBSERVARE / Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (124–127).
Martins, Bruno Oliveira; Kristoffer Lidén & Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert (2022) Border security and the digitalisation of sovereignty: insights from EU borderwork, European Security 31(3): 475–494.

All Publications

Peer-reviewed Journal Article

Hirblinger, Andreas; Julie Marie Hansen; Kristian Hoelscher; Åshild Kolås; Kristoffer Lidén & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2022) Digital Peacebuilding: A Framework for Critical–Reflexive Engagement, International Studies Perspectives. DOI: 10.1093/isp/ekac015.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira; Kristoffer Lidén & Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert (2022) Border security and the digitalisation of sovereignty: insights from EU borderwork, European Security 31(3): 475–494.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira; Chantal Lavallée & Andrea Silkoset (2021) Drone Use for COVID-19 Related Problems: Techno-solutionism and its Societal Implications, Global Policy. DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.13007.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Jocelyn Mawdsley (2021) Sociotechnical Imaginaries of EU Defence: The Past and the Future in the European Defence Fund, Journal of Common Market Studies. DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13197.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert (2020) EU Border technologies and the co-production of security ‘problems’ and ‘solutions’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. DOI: 10.1080/1369183X.2020.1851470.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Michael Strange (2019) Rethinking EU external migration policy: contestation and critique, Global Affairs 5(3): 195–202.
Strange, Michael & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2019) Claiming parity between unequal partners: How African counterparts are framed in the externalisation of EU migration governance, Global Affairs. DOI: 10.1080/23340460.2019.1691932.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Christian Küsters (2019) Hidden Security: EU Public Research Funds and the Development of European Drones, Journal of Common Market Studies 57(2): 278–297.
Aarstad, Åsne & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2018) Researching Private Security in Africa: Two Theoretical Orientations, Two Tales of Security Governance, Global Policy 9(4): 586–588.
Sandvik, Kristin Bergtora & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2018) Revisitando el espacio aéreo latinoamericano: una exploración de los drones como sujetos de regulación [Latin American airspace revisited: Exploring drones as regulatory subject], Latin American Law Review. DOI: 10.29263/lar01.2018.03(1): 61–81.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2016) Interpreting EU–Israel relations: a contextual analysis of the EU’s Special Privileged Partnership proposal, Cambridge Review of International Affairs 29(1): 151–170.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2016) The political-legal nexus in EU counter-terrorism: an assessment of the two-track influences between the EU and the UN, European Politics and Society 17(2): 181–195.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2016) The EU against the New Normal: Avoiding the Banalization of the Israeli‒Palestinian Dispute, Mediterranean Politics 21(3): 452–456.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Alaa Tartir (2016) Forum Introduction: Prospects for Palestinian‒Israeli Relations: What Lies Ahead, Mediterranean Politics 21(3): 428–431.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2015) The European Union and Armed Drones: Framing the Debate, Global Affairs 1(3): 247–250.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Benedikt Backhaus (2015) Why and how the EU should act on armed drones, Global Affairs 1(3): 259–267.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2015) ‘A Sense of Urgency’: The EU, EU Member States and the Recognition of the Palestinian State, Mediterranean Politics 20(2): 281–287.
Ferreira-Pereira, Laura C. & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2012) The external dimension of the European Union's counter-terrorism: an introduction to empirical and theoretical developments, European Security 21(4): 459–473.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Laura C. Ferreira-Pereira (2012) Stepping inside? CSDP missions and EU counter-terrorism, European Security 21(4): 537–556.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2011) The EU, the Mirror and ‘the Others’, Journal of European Integration 33(3): 341–347.

Book Chapter

Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Daniel Pinéu (2022) Security and Geostrategy, in Fernandes, Jorge M.; Pedro C. Magalhães; & António C. Pinto, eds, The Oxford Handbook of Portuguese Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2022) Tecnologia, segurança e sociedade: desafios para o futuro estratégico de Portugal, in Luis Tomé, ed., Janus 2022. Lisbon: OBSERVARE / Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa (124–127).
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2020) Portugal, in Weiderfeld, Werner; & Wolfgang Wessels, eds, Jahrbuch der Europäische Integration 2020. Baden-Baden: Nomos (573–576).
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Neven Ahmad (2020) The Security Politics of Innovation: Dual-use Technology in the EU’s Security Research Programme, in Calcara, Antonio; Raluca Csernatoni; & Chantal Lavallée, eds, Emerging Security Technologies and EU Governance: Actors, Practices and Processes. Oxon: Routledge.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2019) Portugal, in Weidenfeld, Werner; & Wolfgang Wessels, eds, Jahrbuch der Europäische Integration. Baden-Baden: Nomos (519–522).
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Monika Ziegler (2018) Counter-Radicalization as Counter-Terrorism: The European Union Case, in Steiner, Kristian; & Andreas Önnerfors, eds, Expressions of Radicalization: Global Politics, Processes and Practices. Basingstoke: Palgrave (321–352).
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2018) Portugal, in Weidenfeld, Werner; & Wolfgang Wessels, eds, Jahrbuch der Europäischen Integration 2018. Berlin: Nomos (551–554).
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2015) Social Appropriateness in EU’s Counter-Terrorism Law and Policy, in de Londras, Fiona; & Josephine Doody, eds, The Impact, Legitimacy and Effectiveness of EU Counter-Terrorism. Oxon and New York: Routledge (136–154).
Kienzle, Ben; Bruno Oliveira Martins & Antoine Vandemoortele (2015) Security Issues in Foreign Policy, in Jørgensen, Knud Erik; Åsne Aarstad; Edith Drieskens; Katie Laaitikainen; & Ben Tonra, eds, The SAGE Handbook of European Foreign Policy. London: SAGE.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2015) EU-Israel Relations: Expanding the Research Agenda, in Jørgensen, Knud Erik; Åsne Aarstad; Edith Drieskens; Katie Laaitikainen; & Ben Tonra, eds, The SAGE Handbook of European Foreign Policy. London: SAGE.

Edited Volume

Ferreira-Pereira, Laura C.; & Bruno Oliveira Martins, eds, (2013) The European Union’s Fight Against Terrorism: The CFSP and Beyond. Oxon and New York: Routledge.

Non-refereed Journal Article

Salter, Mark B.; Carol Cohn; Andrew Neal; Annick Wibben; J. Peter Burgess; Stephan Elbe; Jonathan Luke Austin; Jef Huysmans; RBJ Walker; Ole Wæver; Michael C. Williams; Emily Gilbert; Philippe Frowd; Dorthe Rosenow; Bruno Oliveira Martins; Vivienne Jabri; Claudia Aradau; Anna Leander; Antoine Bousquet; Anna Stavrianakis; Maria Stern; Kristin Bergtora Sandvik; Luis Lobo-Guerrero; Marieke De Goede; Rocco Bellanova; Hugh Gusterson; Charlotte Epstein; Jeniffer Mustapha; Kristoffer Lidén & Lene Hansen (2019) Horizon Scan: Critical security studies for the next 50 years, Security Dialogue 50(4): 9–37.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2019) Global affairs and the politics of security technologies, Global Affairs. DOI: 10.1080/23340460.2019.1608456.
Cravo, Teresa Almeida; Bruno Oliveira Martins & Michael Strange (2018) Call for submissions to the commentary/debate section of Global Affairs, Global Affairs. DOI: 10.1080/23340460.2018.1502287.

Popular Article

Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2022) Drones over Norway: A Security and Regulatory Analysis, PRIO Blogs, 23 October.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira; Chantal Lavallée & Andrea Silkoset (2020) Drones in Times of Pandemic: Caution behind the Hype, Global Policy, 22 April.
Watson, Abigail; Aditi Gupta; Delina Goxho & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2019) Why Al-Shabaab’s attack on US drone base shouldn’t be ignored, Open Democracy, 22 October.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Åsne Aarstad (2017) ICAN - International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Store Norsk Leksikon, 4 December.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Åsne Aarstad (2017) EUs skjulte militarisering, Klassekampen, 21 November.

Conference Paper

Martins, Bruno Oliveira (2021) Public address to the UNOCT on UAS threats against vulnerable targets, including soft targets and critical infrastructure, presented at International Expert Group Meeting on the Protection of Vulnerable Targets and Unmanned Aircraft Systems, UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, 2021.10.06–07.

PRIO Policy Brief

Martins, Bruno Oliveira; Pinar Tank & Beste İşleyen (2023) Turkish Drones as a Foreign Policy Tool: A Technology-Mediated Search for Autonomy, MidEast Policy Brief, 1. Oslo: PRIO.
Stai, Nora Kristine & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2021) Norway’s Policy on Emerging Military Technologies: Widening the Debate on AI and Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems, PRIO Policy Brief, 11. Oslo: PRIO.
Jensehaugen, Jørgen; Bruno Oliveira Martins; Hilde Henriksen Waage & Júlia Palik (2020) A House Divided: EU Policy on the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict, MidEast Policy Brief, 2. Oslo: PRIO.
Martins, Bruno Oliveira & Mathias Hatleskog Tjønn (2020) Israel and COVID-19: The politics of health, security, and government formation, MidEast Policy Brief, 6. Oslo: PRIO.
Csernatoni, Raluca & Bruno Oliveira Martins (2019) The European Defence Fund: Key Issues and Controversies, PRIO Policy Brief, 3. Oslo: PRIO.

PRIO Paper

Martins, Bruno Oliveira; Arthur Holland Michel & Andrea Silkoset (2020) Countering the Drone Threat: Implications of C-Uas Technology for Norway in an EU and NATO Context, PRIO Paper. Oslo: PRIO.

Blog Posts

Drones over Norway: A Security and Regulatory Analysis

Posted by Bruno Oliveira Martins on Sunday, 23 October 2022

Over the last five weeks, numerous incidents involving drones have made headlines in Norway. These incidents include multiple drone sightings outside oil platforms and energy installations, drone incursions in the vicinity of airports leading to the temporary closure of some of them, and Russian citizens being arrested at Norwegian border ... Read more »

Drones in the Ukraine War: An Initial Strategic and Sociological Assessment

Posted by Bruno Oliveira Martins on Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Drones have played a very important, multidimensional role since the beginning of the current iteration of the war in Ukraine. This importance mirrors what happens in modern conflict all over the world: both in more conventional conflict and in other insurgency / counter-insurgency settings, drones have become a central part ... Read more »

Humanitarian Biometrics in Yemen: The complex politics of humanitarian technology

Posted by Maria-Louise Clausen & Bruno Oliveira Martins on Monday, 12 July 2021

The introduction of biometrics in Yemen is a prime example of challenges related to the use of biometric solutions in humanitarian contexts. The complexity of the situation in Yemen needs to be acknowledged by policy makers and other stakeholders involved in the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the country. The humanitarian ... Read more »

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Short notes on military technologies

Posted by Bruno Oliveira Martins on Friday, 21 May 2021

In a series of brief blog posts, researchers of the PRIO Middle East Centre offer their reflections on the unfolding Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The armed conflict unfolding over the last few days, opposing Israel to the Palestinians, represented some novelties when compared to previous outbreaks. On the military front, which materialized ... Read more »

Drones in the Time of Pandemic: Caution Behind the Hype

Posted by Bruno Oliveira Martins, Chantal Lavallée & Andrea Silkoset on Friday, 24 April 2020

The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has mobilized national and international resources of all types, from funding of medical research to financial rescue plans, and has led to widespread state of emergency declarations. While the approaches adopted all over the world have differed from one country to another, an underlying ... Read more »

“Drone technology has democratized”: An Interview with Bruno Oliveira Martins and Andrea Silkoset

Posted by Indigo Trigg-Hauger, Bruno Oliveira Martins, Andrea Silkoset & Heiko Schaub on Tuesday, 4 February 2020

On February 12 PRIO will host a launch event for the report: Counter-Drone Systems: Implications for Norway in an EU and NATO context. The report aims to comprehensively address opportunities and potential risks, associated with the implementation of counter-drone technology (C-UAS). Together with Arthur Holland Michel, PRIO researchers Bruno Oliveira ... Read more »

A Venezuelan Incident: Maduro and the Politics of Latin American Drones

Posted by Bruno Oliveira Martins & Kristin B. Sandvik on Saturday, 11 August 2018

On 4 August 2018, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s speech at a military parade in Caracas was interrupted by the sound of two explosions. Maduro’s camp immediately claimed that the explosions resulted from a failed assassination attempt by drones carrying explosives. Although the nature of the incident remains disputed, and is ... Read more »

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