Abstract

While the danger of espionage in business is already anchored in the collective consciousness, it is still hardly discussed in the field of research. One reason for this is the lack of monetary valuation of the damage caused by scientific espionage. In addition, concerns about cooperation with foreign research institutions in relation to information security are usually dismissed with reference to freedom of research. This lack of risk awareness raises questions, especially in the context of dual-use goods.

The strongest efforts in the area of the theft of research results are currently coming from China: in 2022, European journalists uncovered how China is using scientific research institutions in Europe as innovation hubs to become a new world power with the “China Science Investigation” project. The German WISKOS research project has also shown that most research institutions in Europe have already fallen victim to scientific espionage. Nevertheless, there is still insufficient awareness of this risk.

In the empirical study (2022-2023), various experts from research institutions, news service, security authorities and other relevant fields were interviewed on the subject of scientific espionage. The result includes risk management strategies and tried-and-tested measures to protect the knowledge of research institutions.

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