Research security
Research Security is a new topic affecting the landscape of research activities in all universities in the EU. Pursuant to the EU's recommendation on enhancing research security the term ‘research security’ refers to anticipating and managing risks arising from the undesirable transfer of information (data leakage situation), foreign interference as well as integrity violations and other breaches of ethical rules. Furthermore, Research Council of Finland (RCF) has introduced research security requirements research security requirements applicable on the research projects and collaboration funded by the RCF for the funding applied as of autumn 2025. This page further elaborates research security.
Elements of research security
Elements of research security under the EU's recommendation on enhancing research security
Examples of situations the research security aims to anticipate and mitigate
- Transfer of technology that falls below control threshold of dual-use items or outside the product coverage of relevant sanction program
- Indirect harmful effect on national security in case dependency on authoritarian countries
- Curtailment of academic freedom in situations where collaboration with a partner from authoritarian country is not reciprocal or open
- Methods for undesirable transfer of knowledge could be deceptive or covert, including outright theft or coercion, but more often exploiting seeming bona fide international academic collaboration
How the risk is described in the EU recommendation
- The undesirable transfer of critical knowledge and technology that may affect the security of the Union and its Member States, for instance if channelled to military or intelligence purposes in third countries
What the notion of critical knowledge and technology means in the EU recommendation
- Knowledge, technology and know-how in emerging and disruptive areas and in domains that are key to economic competitiveness, social welfare and the security of the Union and its Member States
- If overdependency on countries outside the EU is undesirable
- Includes research and innovation with dual-use potential
- Please see an indicative list of technology areas relevant for the EU recommendation. The list is not provided in the EU recommendation but is used here for illustration purposes.
Examples of situations the research security aims to anticipate and mitigate
- Instrumentalization of research by or from third countries to create disinformation. In these situations, research outputs, methodologies, or findings are manipulated or misused to generate false or misleading information.
- Researchers from certain authoritarian countries facing pressure from their state of origin whilst working in EU institutions, potentially leading to self-censorship or compromised research integrity
- Talent programmes sponsored by certain foreign governments imposing obligations on participants that could compromise academic freedom or create conflicts of interest
- Methods for foreign interference could be similar to the ones described above in relation to the undesirable transfer of knowledge from the EU
How the risk is described in the EU recommendation
- Malign influence on research where research can be instrumentalised by or from third countries in order to inter alia create disinformation or incite self-censorship among students and researchers infringing academic freedom and research integrity in the Union
Example of situation the research security aims to anticipate and mitigate
- Breach of the guidelines for the responsible conduct of research published by the Finnish National Board on Research Integrity TENK
How the risk is described in the EU recommendation
- Ethical or integrity violations, where knowledge and technologies are used to suppress, infringe on or undermine Union values and fundamental rights, as defined in the Treaties
Research activities can, in some cases, be subject to research security concerns referred to in the EU recommendation even if there are no simultaneous concerns under export control or sanctions laws. The reason for this is following. Foreign interference and integrity violations, two elements of research security, are areas export control and sanctions don’t typically catch. Furthermore, in research security there is no similar control threshold typically associated with dual-use items or sanction programs in so far as undesirable transfer of knowledge from the EU is concerned.
Aalto recognizes the importance of research security to the prosperity of the Aalto community and the reputation of Aalto among its stakeholders. All members of the Aalto community are entitled to expect an environment that fosters research security. Aalto takes measures to maintain and enhance research security. Each member of the Aalto community is encouraged to
- be aware of and recognize the importance of research security as an integral factor for prosperity of the Aalto community; and
- be in contact with the supervisor, or the Compliance Officer in the event the respective member of the Aalto community becomes aware of, or has reasons to believe that there are, concerns with research security.