Robert Muggah

Robert Muggah is an expert in all things security, smart cities, migration and technology. A founder of an award-winning think tank and a digital transformation company on the mission to reduce digital threats worldwide, Robert has built extensive expertise in the sector and is now a popular choice as a speaker for events. As a speaker, Robert is booked to speak on topics such as the future of cities, disruptive technologies, real and digital threats.

A leading authority in the world of digital security, Robert is best known as the co-founder of the Igarapé Institute and co-founder of the SecDec Foundation and Group. An award-winning think tank and an organisation working to minimise digital threats, the companies operate across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and South Asian regions. His work with such companies has seen Robert partner with the likes of the World Bank, Google and Uber to name but a few.

Before co-founding his companies, Robert worked as a Research Director for Small Arms Survey. During his time with this organisation, and also working on a number of advisory boards, Robert built expertise of security sector reform, post-conflict recovery, reconstruction, humanitarian issues and arms control. His research has been instrumental in over 30 different countries, from North Africa to the Caribbean, Latin America to South Asia. Robert has also contributed to the United Nations Human Development Report, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Fragility Reports and the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Reports.

His opinion and expertise are highly regarded, often published by top corporations such as the Financial Times, CNN, CBC, the BBC and the Economist. He has also published several of his own books, including the titles of Security and Post-Conflict Reconstruction: Dealing with Fighters in the Aftermath of War, Relocation Failures in Sri Lanka and Security Sector Reform. In recognition of his work, Robert has also been invited as a fellow or faculty member of Singularity University, the University of San Diego, New York University and Oxford University.

With such a successful career behind him, Robert is now a popular choice as a speaker for a range of corporate and public events. He has previously spoken at the likes of the World Economic Forum annual summit, the Global Smart City Expo and has also delivered TED talks titled The Biggest Risks Facing Cities – and Some Solutions and How to Protect Fast-Growing Cities from Failing. Invited to become an associate of the World Economic Forum’s Council of Cities and Urbanisation, Robert is regularly booked as a speaker on Smart Cities. He is also hired to speak on topics such as the future of cities, rapid urbanisation, political violence around the world, climate-related challenges, digital and real threats. An eloquent speaker, Robert is the perfect choice for a speaker at a range of events.