Mitigating foreign interference in research and innovation: a toolkit from the European Commission

The European Commission has recently released a toolkit on how to mitigate foreign interference in research and innovation. The publication is co-created with Member States and R&I stakeholders, contributing to the European Research Area Policy Agenda action on academic freedom.

The publication outlines best practices to support Higher Education Institutions and Research Performing Organisations in safeguarding their fundamental values, including academic freedom, integrity and institutional autonomy, as well as to protect their staff, students, research findings and assets. The key areas of attention covered are grouped into four categories: values, governance, partnerships and cybersecurity. The list of possible measures is non-exhaustive but based on it R&I actors can develop a comprehensive approach to tackling foreign interference. It includes four phases: awareness-raising, prevention, response and recovery.

For more information, you can read the European Commission’s press release or access the publication directly.