Strong regulation of research driven by concerns over national security threats could stifle even the core scientific advances humanity needs, according to a new study. Experts advise that balanced policies between scientific progress and national security are necessary.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Wednesday that Professor Kwon Seok-beom of its School of Business and Technology Management has demonstrated, through large-scale data analysis, that strengthened security regulations on dual-use research of concern (DURC) can restrict core scientific research.
Dual-use research refers to studies that can benefit humanity, such as vaccine and treatment development, while also carrying the potential to be misused for biological weapons or bioterrorism. Virus mutation research and pathogen transmission research are representative examples.
The United States has recently been moving to strengthen security regulations on dual-use research. However, empirical research on how such regulations actually affect scientific progress and national security has been lacking.
In response, Professor Kwon analyzed approximately 600,000 research papers using multi-stage security review data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and paper citation data. The results showed that dual-use research has greater academic impact than general research. This means that the more a study becomes subject to regulation, the more likely it is to play an important role in scientific progress and technological innovation.
In addition, the share of dual-use research in which the U.S. government was directly involved fell from 41% in 1981 to 22% in 2005, while the share of research involving foreign institutions rose from 35% to 54% over the same period. This means that while regulations on domestic U.S. research were strengthened, overseas research continued to expand.
"Even if a country strengthens regulations, it only constrains its own research and cannot block overseas research in the same field," Professor Kwon noted. "To protect both scientific progress and national security, international cooperation and balanced policy design are needed."
This study carries significant meaning in that it provides data-based evidence for international policy discussions surrounding dual-use research. It is expected to serve as an important reference for future discussions on research regulation and global cooperation frameworks, not only in biotechnology but also in cutting-edge technology fields that can be linked to security, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technology.
The study, conducted with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea's program for emerging researchers in the humanities and social sciences, was published in the international science journal Science on the 5th of this month.
