Mauro Gilli

ETH Zurich, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

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About

Mauro Gilli is a leading scholar in international security, specializing in the diffusion of military technology, defense innovation, and the strategic implications of emerging technologies. His research critically examines how industrial, infrastructural, and organizational constraints shape the global spread of advanced weaponry, challenging conventional assumptions about technological imitation and power transitions. In his seminal 2014 work, “The Diffusion of Drone Warfare,” Gilli demonstrated that the proliferation of unmanned systems is heavily limited by complex production and support requirements, a thesis that has garnered foundational attention (7 citations). His influential 2019 correspondence with Andrea Gilli on military-technological imitation further argued that the growing sophistication of capital-intensive platforms like fighter jets severely hinders states such as China from replicating U.S. capabilities, sparking a vital debate in strategic studies. More recently, Gilli has turned to defense AI, exploring how latecomers like Italy can bridge innovation gaps. With a career marked by rigorous, policy-relevant analysis, Mauro Gilli’s work is essential reading for students and researchers seeking to understand the real-world constraints on military power and technological competition.