Critical and Emerging Technologies: Sharpening the Strategic Agenda in Germany and Europe
June 2024 – December 2025
Rapid technological advances in domains such as advanced semiconductors, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology raise urgent questions about their economic, societal and security implications – even more so at a time of deep uncertainty about the global order.
In the United States, the Biden administration has been pursuing a forceful agenda on such “critical and emerging technologies” (CET), articulating the aim of staying “as far ahead as possible” of strategic adversaries and competitors (read: China). In pursuit of this objective, Washington has adopted far-reaching export controls, schemes for promoting domestic industries, and other related measures.
While the topic has clearly arrived in Germany and Europe as well, there is still too little understanding of the strategic goals, technological possibilities and constraints, trade-offs, and dilemmas involved in potential policy approaches. Greater clarity on these matters is vital for Berlin and Brussels to develop their own strategic agenda, in dialogue with as well as vis-à-vis the United States.
This project seeks to advance this discussion though original research and analysis, contributions to the public debate, and by fostering a cross-sectoral community of thinkers and practitioners in Berlin and beyond. This work is conducted in close exchange with colleagues at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at other institutions working on related topics.
Initial thematic priorities include developing a more coherent conceptual framework for assessing CET-related goals and risks, as well as promoting a better understanding of the security challenges associated with recent innovations in biotechnology. The project will also feature a US-German Track 1.5 Dialogue in 2025 (building on a successful first edition held in January 2024, which GPPi co-organized with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Bertelsmann Stiftung).
The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
For more information, please contact Jakob Hensing.
