Together for research security: New paths in Germany!

Together for research security: New paths in Germany!

What is happening in the world of science? Today, on June 17, 2025, numerous heads of the research community gathered for the international conference of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), under the motto “Joining Forces to Safeguard Research”. The President of the Science Ministers' Conference, Bettina Martin, gave the keynote speech and highlighted the urgency of how important a more resilient and responsible research landscape is for Germany. Challenges such as global crises and geopolitical tensions require a rethinking of science.

One of the central topics of the conference was the future design of the research landscape, which requires a balanced relationship between protection and freedom in research. Martin praised the Science Council's recently adopted position paper, which shows a clear path to a secure and at the same time open research environment. “Research security must be viewed as a project for society as a whole,” she emphasized and called for a continuous exchange between science, politics and security authorities. All findings from the conference should be incorporated into a stakeholder process in order to create a memorandum on research security that aims to ensure the protection of scientific activities from misuse, espionage and other security-related risks without endangering the freedom of science.

Together for more security in research

What about legal support for research? According to the BMBF website, one of the most urgent tasks is to review the effectiveness of existing research security instruments and structures in order to prevent unwanted developments such as the outflow of know-how and unlawful foreign influence. The BMFTR has focused on the motto “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” in order to address the challenges in international cooperation. A central information platform is also being considered to help scientific institutions be better equipped to deal with safety-critical technologies and their risks.

The Munich Security Conference 2024 and the annual report of the Research and Innovation Expert Commission have already suggested questioning the strict separation between civil and military research. New funding incentives for collaborations could be developed that place greater emphasis on the synergies between these two areas - without there being any targeted funding for military research.

Notes on international cooperation

Another central point of the discussion was the need for a reassessment in order to reconcile academic freedom with security policy interests. Germany needs a more strategic approach to ensure technological sovereignty in key areas. This also includes promoting sensitivity and self-regulation in scientific areas so that there is a broader public awareness of the risks in research.

The threats are complex - they range from the misuse of civilian research to unwanted influence by foreign actors. The strategies developed by the BMFTR are intended to increase sensitivity to research security concerns and promote dialogue between scientific actors.

While the conference was a call for a collective effort in research security, how these ambitious goals can be translated into practice will be crucial. Protecting research is not just a task for science itself, but a common concern for society as a whole.

Further details can be found on the pages of KMK, BMBF as well as International cooperation.