The Confederation of German Industries (BDI) has issued a warning regarding increasing security risks associated with research collaborations between Germany and China. Kerstin Petretto, Senior Analyst for Innovation, Security, and Technology at the BDI, informed the Handelsblatt that China systematically pursues access to key technologies and expertise using a wide array of instruments. She added that even academic collaborations and seemingly purely civilian contacts can be utilized for this purpose, noting that this poses particular risk when dealing with technologies that are not only economically important but also militarily relevant.
These warnings are reinforced by the domestic security services (Verfassungsschutz), which suggest that China may exploit scientific cooperation to obtain technology and know-how. The agency highlights weak points such as legal grey areas and insufficient risk awareness. Petretto stressed that the BDI takes the security services’ warnings extremely seriously, emphasizing that the issue goes beyond superficial controls. She clarified that the concern is not merely about formal vetting mechanisms, but about developing a fundamental attitude toward China as a partner that is simultaneously a systemic competitor.
Petretto recommends that companies, universities, and research institutions must assess collaborations in sensitive fields on a risk-based foundation, strictly limit access to data and knowledge, and heighten staff awareness. She also underscored the necessity of close and trustworthy cooperation with security authorities. According to Petretto, receiving early warnings, reliable situational intelligence, and maintaining a dependable exchange of information are vital for conducting robust evaluations of collaboration partners and potential risks. While acknowledging that research freedom is a high value, she concluded that it does not negate the responsibility to safeguard German knowledge, innovation capacity, and technological sovereignty.
