Margaret Kosal. Supported by the European Commission Jean Monnet Center of Excellence (2020-2023)
The rapid pace of technological evolution in diplomatic, information, military, and economic sectors has contributed to a dynamic international policy environment. Global political stability is greatly influenced by innovations originating from numerous sources, including university labs, the technology sector, and government research. Collectively, these innovations guide the movement of people, ideas, and technology that in turn affect the international balance of power. The objective of this project is to develop new insights into how the proliferation of innovative ideas, low-cost weapons, and dual-use technologies will impact the changing global military landscape and how the EU and NATO can respond most effectively. As the complexity of technological innovations increases, existing control mechanisms such as international regulations and security arrangements may be insufficient to stem the tide of proliferation. As such, this work seeks policy solutions to curtail the threat to global stability posed by the proliferation of weapons and dual-use technology, with specific interest in allies and partners in Europe.
The sources and dimensions of strategy and organization related to new technologies will be assessed through a detailed, theoretically-informed, empirically-driven, comparative case study design, which will explore ideational (rhetoric versus technical reality), institutional, and state-level factors. These will be based on state strategies, documents, and statements; review of military-oriented emerging technology research and development programs and funding; and indicators of incorporation of emerging technology and technology-enabled products into civilian, defensive, or offensive systems Data sources will include semi-structured interviews across industry, government, military, and the scientific community, as well as document and technical analysis.
