Richardson, Katherine and Renda, Andrea and Schwaag Serger, Sylvia and Walz, Rainer and Potočnik, Dunja and Świeboda, Pavel and Christophilopoulos, Epaminondas and Balland, Pierre-Alexandre and Grabbe, Heather and Muntean, Bianca and Castaño Marin, Marialuisa and Weresa, Marzenna and Alkemade, Floor and Dunlop, Kirsten and Simonsson, Jon (2025) Making the most of EU research and innovation investments: rethinking dual use: a policy brief by the Expert Group on the Economic and Societal impact of Research & Innovation. Other. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
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Abstract
Significant political, geopolitical, and technological shifts are currently unfolding, with farreaching consequences for Europe’s economy and security. The war on Ukraine, climate change, and rising geopolitical tensions are destabilising long-standing alliances and partnerships. They are furthermore disrupting established global value chains and flows of goods and services. At the same time, the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the US and China highlights the need for Europe to strengthen its technological capabilities. The changing geopolitical and geoeconomic environments are prompting increases in government defence spending across the European Union (EU) that few would have predicted just a few months ago. The speed, scale, and direction of these changes underline the importance that the EU puts in place mechanisms and structures to capture more effectively the synergies between research and innovation on the one hand and defence and security on the other. The changing nature of warfare, closely linked to the development of general-purpose technologies, not least AI, further accentuates the need for a revised and more systematic EU approach to dual use. History shows that defence is one of the most powerful drivers of technological development and innovation, at the same time as nonmilitary (or civilian) research and innovation are critical in building military strength and guaranteeing national security. Strengthening the linkages and synergies between the two, while at the same time managing potential risks, is essential for both our continent’s economic development and our ability to defend ourselves. Dual-use technologies are at the heart of innovation in sectors ranging from space and cybersecurity to AI and advanced manufacturing. In a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, the ability to coordinate, invest in, and regulate dual use R&D is essential for strategic autonomy and long-term resilience. Managing these technologies smoothly enables the EU to harness their full potential for economic growth while safeguarding sensitive research and promoting responsible innovation. Effectively managing and enabling dual-use research and development is thus an integral part of equipping the EU for a more dangerous and contested future. In a time of increasing pressures on sustainability, security, prosperity and government budgets, it is critical for the EU’s future that synergies are exploited more generally and actively within all areas to ensure maximum return on and efficiency of R&I investments. This requires systems thinking, with dual use R&I being an integral component of such thinking. In this report, we argue that the EU should adopt a ‘dual use by design’ approach (Preparedness Union Strategy 2025), as a vital pillar for ensuring Europe’s security, competitiveness and prosperity. We advocate that Europe integrates dual-use research into the next EU Framework Programme and aligns it with the European Defence Fund; fosters collaboration between civilian and military sectors while managing security through ethical governance; applies the principle “as open as possible, as secure as necessary” to balance innovation and safety; and establish ethics and safety committees in research institutions with clear incident reporting systems. Our suggested actions also entail educating both researchers and security professionals on dual-use risks and opportunities. We acknowledge and fully endorse that the European project is, at its core, a peace project, and should remain so. Rethinking dual use in the way we propose is not in conflict with that aim – rather it is a vital component of ensuring Europe’s ability to defend itself while ensuring that technology serves people, prosperity and the planet.
| Item Type: | Monograph (Other) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Language: English. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | European Union, research and innovation, investment, dual-use |
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JA Political science (General) |
| Depositing User: | Karolina |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Sep 2025 08:25 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Sep 2025 08:25 |
| URI: | http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/id/eprint/1247 |
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