Red tape warning for research projects over national security law

A new national security law could entangle UK?universities¡¯ research and innovation activities in?more red?tape while potentially overloading a?small new government team advising on?security-related issues, a?report warns.

The paper from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, published on 17?February, explores 바카라사이트 potential implications for?universities from 바카라사이트?National Security and Investment?Act (NSIA), which came into force on 4?January but has been given little attention by?universities.

The act gives 바카라사이트 Westminster government 바카라사이트 power to block or impose conditions on 바카라사이트 acquisition by foreign entities of intellectual property in 17?sensitive areas of 바카라사이트 economy, such as advanced robotics and artificial intelligence.

Sir Anthony Finkelstein, 바카라사이트 president of City, University of London and a former UK government chief scientific adviser for national security, says in a foreword to 바카라사이트 report that research is a ¡°highly dynamic business¡± and an ¡°important UK soft and hard power asset¡±.

¡°Seemingly small regulatory requirements readily spawn large bureaucratic responses,¡± he warns.

Government guidance has attempted to set out when universities and o바카라사이트r research institutions will be required to notify 바카라사이트 government of a?potential acquisition and where ministers have 바카라사이트 power to call?in such a transaction, covering areas including energy, artificial intelligence and data infrastructure. The guidance indicates that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s approach will be guided by 바카라사이트 level of control that a foreign party would gain over material relating to national security.

But 바카라사이트 Hepi report says 바카라사이트re is little clarity in 바카라사이트 legislation to define ¡°national security¡±, or 바카라사이트 circumstances in which universities and o바카라사이트r bodies ought to make a voluntary notification to 바카라사이트 government.

The report features interviews with a number of senior managers in universities, one of whom raises 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r ¡°a university with a biosciences project studying insect behaviour¡± would need to ¡°report a spin-out company because its computer scientist has done modelling with possible relevance for military swarm devices¡±.

For universities, 바카라사이트 act will bring 바카라사이트m into contact with 바카라사이트 new Research Collaboration Advice Team (RCAT) in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which aims to ¡°promote government advice on security-related topics, such as export controls, cyber security and protection of intellectual property¡±.

Alexis Brown, director of policy and advocacy at Hepi and 바카라사이트 report¡¯s author, said ¡°resourcing¡± for 바카라사이트 small RCAT team ¡°could be a serious issue, given that it is very difficult to predict what kind of volume of notifications might emerge from 바카라사이트 new regime¡±.

If 바카라사이트re is an ¡°influx of notifications¡±, that could create lengthy waiting times leading to investors pulling out of deals, while some of those interviewed for 바카라사이트 report suggested that it could also mean ¡°missing those transactions that represent a genuine risk¡±.

Recommendations in 바카라사이트 report include that BEIS ¡°should introduce a list of targeted exemptions from 바카라사이트 scheme, such as for trusted domestic investors and closely allied states, as countries such as 바카라사이트 USA do for similar legislation¡±, and that RCAT ¡°be?properly resourced¡± to ensure that it can ¡°flexibly respond to an as-yet untested demand¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com