As Provost at DTU and Chair of the Council on Ethics, Christine Nellemann is used to tackling big questions. Here, she answers why research is an important part of increasing Europe's security, and what contribution DTU should make. Because how do you balance Europe's interests on the one hand and the risk of espionage on the other?
Why do you see DTU being part of the solution to the situation Europe is facing right now?
With geopolitical tensions, the need to protect Europe and European values is paramount and we need to make ourselves independent of other nations’ help, knowledge, and technologies. If we are dependent on others, we are also vulnerable.
As one of the leading technical universities in Europe, DTU not only has the opportunity to contribute—we have a duty to do so. In all respects, it is DTU’s task to provide solutions to society’s greatest challenges, so it is also DTU’s responsibility to contribute to the development of defence technology, security technology, and innovation that can create an independent and resilient Europe.
DTU develops sustainable solutions for the benefit of society. How is it sustainable to develop defence technology?
Sustainability is a concept that permeates all activity at DTU. This applies to environmental sustainability, where research helps balance the use of the earth’s resources and reduce emissions of, e.g., CO2. But it also applies to social sustainability, where research helps to create and sustain societies based on democracy, equal opportunities, and social justice.
When DTU develops technologies to ensure that Europe can defend itself and the democratic values on which the continent stands, DTU also promotes social sustainability.
Does this mean that DTU is now going to create completely new research environments that work separately with defence technology?
No, because we’re already working with critical dual-use technologies that can be used for both civilian and military applications.
Dual-use applies to obvious areas such as quantum technology, cybersecurity, and AI.
When it comes to areas such as energy, food security, and construction, our task is to create robust and resilient systems that can enhance Europe’s preparedness and security.
So the aim is not to create new research environments that separately develop defence technology, but rather to sharpen the focus on defence, preparedness, and security in the relevant research areas.
Is DTU making itself vulnerable to espionage by talking so openly about the subject?
The states that are interested in misusing our knowledge already know about the research. Talking openly about an increased military focus on selected research areas will not change the threat that already exists. Employing a specific risk assessment, we consider the threat of espionage in each research area and then assess the risk on a case-by-case basis. This happens when a new researcher is hired in a critical research area—especially if it’s a researcher from a nation outside the NATO alliance.
On the positive side, I believe that full disclosure can lead to collaborations across borders in Europe with the potential for a far greater impact than if we closed ourselves off.
When working with dual-use technology, there is a risk of criticism and ethical dilemmas. How does DTU deal with that?
It’s always important that we have an open and honest dialogue with researchers about the ethical dilemmas that may arise during a research project. It is DTU’s task, in collaboration with the researchers, to assess consequences and risks.
It’s also important that we have the courage to take part in the discussion publicly—even before we’re asked. Every time new technological milestones are reached, ethical issues arise that universities rarely talk about. This is true not only in defence, but in a wide range of other areas, such as AI, where chatbots have been criticized for being biased. I would like to see us not only deliver the technology to society, but also participate even more in the discussion about the use of the technology with our factual knowledge and ethical considerations.
How does DTU ensure that new knowledge published in publicly available journals is not misused by hostile nations?
Much of DTU’s research is so fundamental that it is difficult to misuse. It is often only when research is translated into actual market solutions by a company that the need for security is heightened.
That will it take for DTU’s defence technology research to make a difference to Europe’s security?
It’s important that we focus on building networks and alliances with those who have years of experience in translating research into concrete market solutions. So we need to think broadly and in terms of strong collaborations with companies and other universities.
Denmark doesn’t have many companies in the defence sector, but Sweden, Germany, and France do. In collaboration with the other countries, DTU’s research can become strengthened significantly and have a much greater impact on European security in the future, and hopefully we can help establish a larger defence technology and security technology industry in Denmark.
