Government aims to accelerate military innovation; also taking shape in Delft

The Ministry of Defence’s budget is set to rise significantly. Over the coming years, funding will increase by several billion euros, eventually reaching an additional 19 billion euros by 2035.

Some of that money will be spent on research and innovation. Universities and universities of applied sciences can also contribute to this, and it seems they are keen to do so: the money is tempting, and why wouldn’t they want to work towards national security?

There are also critical voices: should researchers be allowed to be used as pawns by the arms industry? How, for example, does academic freedom relate to a duty of confidentiality? And what about international cooperation?

Better alignment

Last Friday, Education Minister Rianne Letschert wrote to the Dutch House of Representatives stating that she is in discussions with her counterparts at the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economic Affairs regarding the framework conditions for knowledge institutions to ‘align more closely’ with research and innovation for the Ministry of Defence.

Both universities and universities of applied sciences have – either individually or jointly – entered into agreements with the armed forces regarding the use of education and research. The question therefore seems to be primarily how this will happen, rather than whether it is desirable at all for these institutions to collaborate with the military industry.

A new policy paper (in Dutch) on national defence, setting out the government’s policy in detail, states that the Ministry of Defence will strengthen ‘development, knowledge, production and security of supply’. This will be done in close collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).

Promoting dual-use applications

It does not go into great detail, but the government wants, for example, to promote dual-use applications – that is, applications that could be used for military purposes if required. No specific examples are given, but these could include radar technology, drones or, for instance, knowledge of software vulnerabilities.

‘Undesirable dependence on foreign expertise and suppliers can pose a security risk’

The Ministry of Defence also wishes to collaborate at regional level with businesses, industry, and educational and research institutions. It is expected that this will enable the ministry to contribute to ‘societal resilience, economic strength and solutions to broader societal challenges’.

We must stay one step ahead of the enemy, says the government, and that is why we need to have the necessary expertise here in the Netherlands. “Undesirable dependence on foreign expertise and suppliers could pose a security risk in this regard.”

The policy document is primarily a reaffirmation of the current course, rather than a U-turn. At the same time, it shows that much still needs to be figured out. The role of the research institutions has not yet been clearly defined.

Innovation Centre in Delft

This also applies to TU Delft. On the morning of Wednesday 1 July, a new innovation centre for start-ups and other smaller businesses will be officially opened there in the presence of State Secretary for Defence Derk Boswijk. The ministry has rented the API hall on Cornelis Drebbelweg for this purpose, as well as another building on Leeghwaterstraat. It is not yet clear what criteria companies will have to meet to gain access. TU Delft and the Ministry of Defence are working on an admissions policy.

Looking ahead, the Ministry of Defence has its sights set on a third TU Delft building, also on Leeghwaterstraat. Although both parties had previously informed Delta that no research or teaching would take place at the innovation centre, it appears that this is not the case for the third building. According to a TU spokesperson, ‘the Ministry of Defence wants to create the opportunity here to collaborate with other research and educational institutions, including TU Delft’.

Moral deliberation or not?

But does the Executive Board want this too, and shouldn’t an moral deliberation or advice from the Student and Works Councils be sought first? According to the spokesperson, discussions regarding research and teaching at the innovation centre ‘have not yet begun, and the Executive Board has yet to consider the matter’. He does not address the other questions. He does, however, write: “In line with standard academic  practice, it is up to researchers and faculties to assess whether or not they wish to do so. Each academic primarily makes their own ethical considerations in this regard. An moral deliberation is a tool for discussing dilemmas with colleagues. This is also how it is used within the faculties.”

HOP, Bas Belleman/Delta, Saskia Bonger