The world has changed - and universities feel that, too. As geopolitical tensions rise, so does the need for knowledge and technology that can strengthen the safety and resilience of our society. The Dutch Ministry of Defense, for instance, is increasingly seeking collaboration with universities. Within TU/e, a working group led by Geert-Jan van Houtum, dean of the Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, is exploring how the university can and wants to contribute to the security of our society.
Geert-Jan van Houtum, chair of the working group exploring the research domain Resilience & Security, is very clear: "We only conduct research that serves a demonstrably moral and legitimate purpose. Our focus is on how we can better protect our country and Europe against, in particular, hybrid attacks that destabilize our society - but also against conventional military threats."
By hybrid attacks, Van Houtum refers to incidents such as drone strikes, cyberattacks on critical civil systems, or manipulation through social media by spreading fake news. "We have the knowledge to make systems and infrastructures more secure - and we want to take responsibility for that."
Van Houtum notes that this chosen approach is based on extensive discussions with the relevant parties. "The Executive Board and the deans support this direction. In the coming period, we will further develop the plan together with our community."
CALL FROM THE MINISTER
During the opening of the academic year at our university, Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans made an urgent appeal to universities to join the effort for innovation and new technologies. "As the old saying goes: those who want peace must prepare for war. Without you - without our technical universities - we cannot keep our country safe," Brekelmans stated.
BROAD EXPLORATION
The Resilience & Security working group initiated a university-wide exploration in March of this year: what research related to safety and defense is already being conducted, and how can we consolidate that knowledge? Researchers from nearly all departments have contributed input. As a result, we now have a solid first overview of the expertise available at TU/e - and how it can contribute to security challenges.
The scope is broad, encompassing sensor technology, unmanned systems, cybersecurity, the maintenance of critical infrastructures, and human performance in complex environments. "It shows how much knowledge we already have across nearly all departments," says Van Houtum. "And that the theme of security is naturally interwoven with societal resilience in many research areas."
DUAL USE AND MORAL CONSIDERATIONS
Much of this research falls under what is known as dual use technologies: innovations that can be applied for both civilian and military purposes. They can contribute to healthcare, energy, or logistics - but can also play a role in safety and defense. Examples include fundamental research in AI, photonics, or robotics.
Or take Van Houtum's own field: maintenance of capital assets. "I've worked with the Ministry of Defense quite often. For me, that felt as natural as collaborating with ASML or DAF. They all operate complex systems that require regular maintenance. I've never had discussions about that. No one objects to Defense benefiting as well from smart methods for spare parts management and data-driven maintenance."
WE NEED TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ETHICAL DIMENSION OF OUR RESEARCH. WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO, WHAT NOT - AND WHY?
Geert-Jan van Houtum, chair of the Resilience & Security working group
The dual-use nature of this research raises questions about ethics, responsibility, and the limits of collaboration. "We work on so-called key enabling technologies, and these can be applied in various ways. The technology itself is generic. What matters is how it's used in different application areas. That's why it's essential for us at the university to engage in active conversations about the ethical aspects. What do we want to do, what don't we - and why?"
INFORMATION SESSIONS
For this reason, the Resilience & Security working group organizes information sessions within the departments. Researchers can use these sessions to discuss their questions and concerns: about collaboration with Defense, knowledge security, or open science.
"That also gives us guidance and a clearer picture of how this topic resonates with our researchers. I've noticed there's a strong willingness to contribute to security, as long as it's done carefully - and, of course, always voluntarily."
OPPORTUNITIES
These sessions also cover national and European developments in research funding. "Significant amounts of funding are becoming available for fundamental research in the field of security. This creates opportunities for individual researchers, research groups, and our university to contribute to the safety and resilience of our society."
In the coming period, more of these information sessions will take place within the faculties, and TU/e-wide meetings on Resilience & Security research will also be organized, says Van Houtum.
These researchers carry out studies on issues related to Resilience & Security
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ETHICAL FRAMEWORK
Work is underway to establish clear safeguards. At TU/e, an ethics committee has been established to assess new projects related to Resilience & Security in terms of their ethical and security aspects.
The assessment could, for example, follow a method based on the concept of moral deliberation. This is a structured discussion of ethical dilemmas with representatives from our community. Its purpose is to gain insight into difficult choices by examining them from different perspectives. The goal is not to find one correct answer, but to achieve moral clarity: better understanding why something is problematic, which values are at stake, and what that means for everyone's actions.
TAILORED APPROACH
"That's always tailored to the situation," says Van Houtum. "There are topics where it's very clear whether something should or shouldn't be done. But there's also a large gray area where we need to make a judgment. By working through concrete cases and conducting analyses, we define the contours of what we, as a university, are willing to do - and what we are not."
By examining concrete cases and conducting analyses, we define the boundaries of what we, as a university, are willing and not willing to do.
Geert-Jan van Houtum, chair of the Resilience & Security working group
"We want to be transparent," says Van Houtum. "Everyone should know the framework within which we operate. We are developing a system that properly supports researchers so that they can make their decisions consciously, professionally, and safely."
NATIONAL AGREEMENTS
Our university is not the only one focusing on resilience and security. Dutch universities are collaborating with the Ministry of Defense on a covenant that establishes agreements on knowledge security, open science, intellectual property, ethical considerations, and export control. "Almost all universities are involved, as they all want to contribute to this research area and, in doing so, to the security of the Netherlands."
FROM EXPLORATION TO DIRECTION
The first phase of the exploration revealed TU/e's current standing in research on Resilience & Security. The next step is to create a research agenda within the five thematic areas of the Ministry of Defense: intelligent systems, space, sensors, smart materials, and quantum technologies.
At the end of August, researchers gathered to map the existing knowledge in these fields. "It became clear that we have something to offer in all of these themes," says Van Houtum.
STUDENTS AND EDUCATION
In education, the Ministry of Defense is looking at vocational and higher education to increase the number of reservists. This can be done through minors, and several vocational and higher education institutions have already developed such minors. The first universities are also well advanced in this. "In the coming period, we will explore that possibility," says Van Houtum.
TOO EARLY FOR A LABEL
What form the Resilience & Security research domain will ultimately take is still open. "It's too early to put a label on it," says Van Houtum. "But it is very likely to become significant. And if that happens, we need to organize it properly, with attention to knowledge security and the safety of our staff."
More and more people are seeing the importance of taking action to protect our country.
Geert-Jan van Houtum, chair of the Resilience & Security working group
The tone has changed, notes Van Houtum. Whereas the topic was approached cautiously earlier this year, there is now a growing awareness that universities also have a role to play in the resilience of the Netherlands. Van Houtum points to the recent unrest caused by drones spotted over European airports. These incidents led to temporary flight bans, cancellations, and concerns about national security. "More and more people are seeing the importance of taking action to protect our country."
"Security is not solely the responsibility of Defense. It is a shared responsibility of knowledge institutions, the government, and society. As a university, we can contribute through knowledge and innovation. That is exactly where our value lies."
