Scientific espionage

In brief

Did you know, for example, that most research organizations in Europe have already been victims of scientific espionage?

Is scientific espionage also an issue for you?

Today’s article is on a slightly different but no less exciting topic. Quite the opposite! Scientific espionage is currently the forgotten brother of industrial espionage, but the topic is of great relevance to more institutions and companies than you might think at first glance. Did you know, for example, that most research organizations in Europe have already been victims of scientific espionage?

Daniela Kirchmeir, Training Manager at CALPANA business consulting GmbH and responsible for setting up the CRISAM® Academy, won the prize for the best master’s thesis at the “European Students Research Conference – for Risk, Safety and Security 2023” with participating universities from 13 countries with her master’s thesis on scientific espionage in China. Congratulations again Daniela!

Is the topic relevant to you and your company or institution?

Here you will find a brief summary of the most important points and a link to the full evaluation below. Do you have any questions on the topic? Then please feel free to contact us.

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.

Publication for download

Daniela Kirchmeir

Daniela Kirchmeir is Training Manager at CALPANA business consulting and pursues the vision of taking CRISAM® knowledge transfer to the next level. As part of this, she founded the CRISAM® Academy and is constantly expanding it. However, she not only explores the question of how GRC skills can best be taught on-demand, but is also passionate about the challenges of risk and security management for the fields of science and research.

Contact:
daniela.kirchmeir@calpana.com