Berlin Risk has contributed expert analysis to a new Handelsblatt investigation examining the security risks associated with research cooperation between German universities and institutions in China and Russia.
The investigation focuses on the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and its long-standing cooperation with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in areas including drones, autonomous flight systems and artificial intelligence. Although SJTU is a civilian university, it maintains close links to China’s defence sector. It also cooperates with Russian institutions, notably the OFAC-sanctioned Moscow Aviation Institute.
These relationships raise questions about the potential transfer of sensitive knowledge at a time when TUM is itself closely involved in German and European defence projects. Jennifer Hanley-Giersch, Managing Partner at Berlin Risk, highlighted the possible overlap between researchers cooperating with SJTU and those working with defence-sector partners in Germany and Europe. She also raised the question of whether existing organisational safeguards are sufficient to prevent sensitive knowledge or project information from reaching unintended third parties.
The case reflects a broader challenge for universities, companies and public institutions. International research cooperation remains essential, but partnerships involving dual-use technologies require careful assessment of counterparties, their wider institutional networks and the potential pathways through which knowledge may be transferred.
Read the full article here: https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/deutsche-spitzenforscher-mit-heiklen-kontakten-nach-china/100239303.html