University of Copenhagen rector warns of military shift in research agenda

F-16 fighter jets roared over the Danish annual political festival Folkemødet on the island of Bornholm last weekend. Police have since told Danish media that the flights were intended »to demonstrate vigilance and deterrence in the Baltic Sea region«.

Apart from making festival-goers look up at the sky simultaneously, the jets were a symbolic backdrop to the debate in the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) tent.

Here, UCPH rector David Dreyer Lassen and Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund (Moderates) were part of a panel discussing how research and innovation should adapt to the new, more conflict-ridden world.

We have areas — particularly in quantum research — where military applications could, in the long term, become possible

David Dreyer Lassen, rector

The minister and rector agreed that military technology is likely to play a much greater role in future Danish research.

»Dual-use has to be considered in future research investments,« said the minister.

Dual-use refers to products and technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. Unlike in the US, universities in Europe have long been hesitant to pursue military technology research.

But with the fluid international situation we may be on the brink of a shift in paradigm.

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The University Post caught up with Rector David Dreyer Lassen after the debate to ask him what this shift could mean in practice at the University of Copenhagen.

Mental shift

According to the rector, Europe is going through a shift in thinking when it comes to research that might have military applications.

»In the past, we in Europe were concerned how civilian technologies might be used militarily. The Americans flipped this around: They often develop technologies for military purposes first — and then it turns out they have civilian uses too. The internet is a classic example,« he said.

»So if you reject everything that might have military applications from the outset, you risk losing access to valuable opportunities«

Those conducting this kind of research might have to conduct their work under tighter security, to prevent results from falling into the wrong hands prematurely

David Dreyer Lassen, rector

Asked what a shift in attitudes to dual-use research could mean for UCPH, David Dreyer Lassen responded that the university — at least in the short term — is unlikely to see major changes in its day-to-day operations. Most research at UCPH is many steps away from being finished technology.

»The research we do is at the lower end of what’s called the technological readiness level. That means we rarely develop final technologies — that’s more typical at technical universities,« said the rector.

Nevertheless, there are fields where UCPH is already conducting research that could, in principle, have military applications.

»We have areas — particularly in quantum research — where military applications could, in the long term, become possible. That’s also one of the reasons why former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Niels Bohr Institute,« said David Dreyer Lassen.

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More security and new questions

In the wake of debates over dual-use, there emerge questions about security and ethics, David Dreyer Lassen emphasised.

»Those conducting this kind of research might have to conduct their work under tighter security, to prevent results falling into the wrong hands prematurely,« said the rector.

According to David Dreyer Lassen, it will especially be at the Niels Bohr Institute that a shift toward more dual-use research could be on the drawing board.

»But of course, this is something we need to have a thorough internal discussion about. What can we do? What do we want to do?« said the rector.

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