Research and Innovation Series (RIS) – Part VIII: Open Science under Pressure: Germany’s Experience with Research and Innovation Security Challenges
The Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) is pleased to host a new webinar in its Research and Innovation Series (RIS), exploring Germany’s approach to research and innovation security.
Organized by the Stockholm Center for Research and Innovation Security (SCRIS), the webinar series promotes dialogue and exchange of ideas related to research and innovation. By bringing together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, the series aims to deepen understanding of the policies, government frameworks, and the emerging challenges impacting research and innovation security.
Research and innovation security has rapidly moved to the forefront of policy discussions across Europe. As emerging technologies become more and more important for both economic prosperity and national security, universities and research institutions face growing pressure to safeguard sensitive knowledge while preserving the openness that underpins scientific progress.
Germany is playing an important role in this debate. Recent policy developments, together with discussions surrounding the Helmholtz Center for Information Security (CISPA) case, have highlighted the challenges of balancing international scientific cooperation with concerns over foreign interference, unwanted knowledge and technology transfer, and the protection of critical research.
In this webinar, Dr. Alicia Hennig, ISDP’s Associated Senior Research Fellow, will examine how Germany’s approach to research and innovation security is evolving, the implications of recent debates for universities and policymakers, and the lessons that can be drawn for Europe more broadly. The discussion will also explore how research institutions can strengthen resilience while preserving academic freedom and the benefits of international collaboration. Melita Phachulia, Executive Assistant, will moderate the discussion. The event will begin with a presentation followed by a Q&A session.
Join us for this timely discussion as part of ISDP’s Research and Innovation Security (RIS) Webinar Series, which brings together leading experts to examine national approaches to research security and the future of international scientific cooperation in an increasingly contested geopolitical environment.
Topics will include:
- Germany’s approach to research and innovation security
- Lessons from the CISPA case for German and European universities
- Balancing openness with security and resilience
- Risk assessment in international research cooperation
- How Germany’s approach compares with those of other European countries
- Priorities for Germany and the EU in strengthening research security
Speaker:
Dr. Alicia Hennig is currently an external lecturer at the University of St Gallen in Switzerland. She also does commissioned work in the field of research security. Previously, she held a five-year fixed-term position as an interim professor of business ethics at the Technical University of Dresden in Germany. Alicia has extensive professional experience in China, in both business and academia. Having worked at leading Chinese universities for over five years, she gained valuable insights into the Chinese academic system.
Her current research lies at the intersection of business ethics and political science. It focuses on the corporate responsibilities of foreign companies in non-democratic regimes, particularly in China. Her work has been published in several well-established business ethics journals, including the Philosophy of Management Journal, the Journal of Business Ethics, and the Humanistic Management Journal. Additionally, she is looking into issues related to research security with respect to China. She has done commissioned work and evaluations regarding the risks of Sino-German science cooperation for the University of Marburg and the Leibniz Association. She has also given briefings to the NATO Science & Technology Board and the FBI Counterintelligence Division.
Her views on China have been featured in various German media outlets, including newspapers, radio, and TV, such as Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Deutschlandfunk.