Insights

A few years ago, research security looked like a convergence story, with shared frameworks and increasingly aligned expectations. Through the G7, OECD, Five Eyes and other forums, countries have worked towards shared principles for protecting sensitive research while preserving the benefits of international collaboration. At the flagship European research security conference of 2025, much of the discussion centred on whether harmonisation or alignment was the more realisti

As the research sector continues to invest in research culture, attention is increasingly turning to a new question: has all this work actually made a difference? Funders, institutions and sector bodies are rightly seeking to understand impact. Programmes are being evaluated, surveys are being commissioned, and new datasets are emerging to track progress. This is both necessary and overdue. Improving research culture is not just about initiating change.

In an era of heightened geopolitical tension, research security has shot to the top of policy agendas worldwide. Governments and institutions are implementing new measures intended to safeguard sensitive science against threats like espionage, theft, and undue foreign influence. The Flagship EU Conference on Research Security, held recently in Brussels, underscored the urgency: for the first time, the European Union announced plans to anchor research security in EU law via