Why is everyone talking about dual-use goods?

By Sherley De Deurwaerder, Lex Kleren Switch to German for original article

What do infrared sensors, microchips and encryption software have in common? They can all be used for both civilian and military purposes. The term "dual use" describes precisely such technologies and is becoming increasingly important in Europe's security policy. A look at the origin, purpose and economic function of a term that says more than it seems at first glance.

In autumn 2023, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the annual conference of the European Defence Agency that the dual-use potential must be "maximised". She continues to emphasise the importance of this to this day: just recently again at the NATO summit, with the comment that dual-use projects are often not operated on "civilian platforms" (i.e. traditional commercial or public infrastructures). This is something that needs to be changed, especially at a time when Europe is seeking to rearm. What is meant is that military projects should increasingly be allowed to run on the same platforms as civilian applications, from cloud platforms to satellite networks.

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