The governing dual-use technologies Technicality, politics, and international law in an era of rearmament

Investment in defence and dual-use technologies is on the rise. In artificial intelligence, quantum, and space technologies, among others, companies, investors, research institutions and governments explore the strategic development and application of technologies that can serve both civilian and military (thus ‘dual’) purposes. In this landscape, it is crucial to talk more about what ‘dual-use’ is all about. This inaugural lecture will address what dual-use items mean conceptually and politically, what challenges the duality of technologies brings, and what international and European law can do to tackle such challenges.
To talk about the political baggage of dual-use items is important, precisely because of the increased relevance of research-performing organisations, including universities, in the governance of dual-use technologies. As geopolitical competitions intensify, both militarily and technologically, international research collaboration in the EU is seen as risking the transfer of technologies to the ‘wrong hands’. Dual-use export control is the main legal instrument to mitigate such risks. Understanding the political contexts of dual-use and related legal instruments is the necessary step here, in order for research organisations to stay resilient amidst Europe’s the increasingly geopoliticised research and innovation endeavours.