The Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security (BIGS) is an independent, non-partisan non-profit institute in Potsdam with the mission of building bridges between theory and practice to improve research in civil security through a multi- and interdisciplinary approach. When founded in 2010, there was no research institute which filled the need for multi- and interdisciplinary research on security issues. A gap that BIGS has aimed to fill. Research at the institute seeks to analyse security issues from an interdisciplinary perspective and to supply needed insights into these issues, while at the same time strengthening Germany's broader security architecture over the long term. By bringing together domestic and international multipliers from politics, the business sector, public administration, the media and academia, BIGS develops innovative strategies and solutions for contemporary civil security challenges and respective research questions. These multidisciplinary efforts are reflected in the institute's s teaching activities for students and young scholars in cooperation with the University of Potsdam, the institute's publications as well as conferences and workshops.