The President of the Conference of University Rectors, Walter Rosenthal, has reaffirmed the freedom of researchers to pursue projects that may also benefit the military. The choice of topics in teaching and research, as well as the partners involved, remains entirely free, he told the Handelsblatt newspaper.
This principle applies even to cases where a university has a so-called “civil clause” that prohibits military research. Such clauses are in place at around 70 universities in Germany, but Rosenthal emphasized that they have no impact on individual research activities.
The President of the Conference of Science Ministers, Bettina Martin, had previously spoken out against the exclusion of military research. “Excluding dual use is unrealistic in these times” she told the newspaper.
The research director of the federal cyber agency, Christian Hummert, explained that some of the agency’s research tenders had been unsuccessful due to civil clauses. The agency awards around 80 million euros in research funding annually. “Nobody has an interest in a German frigate being hacked and controlled by criminals” he said. However, many professors are afraid of student protests and do not want to be seen in a negative light, he added.
The President of the German Academy of Engineering Sciences (Acatech), Jan Wörner, stated that many researchers and some university leaders feel uncomfortable because they are unsure of what they are allowed to do and what not. The government must clarify the situation, he told the newspaper. Acatech views civil clauses as a hindrance to Germany’s innovative potential as a whole.