Managing Dual-Use Technology in an Era of Great Power Competition

Advanced technologies is the central theme of the great power competition between the United States (US) and China, which has broadened the concept of national security. Technology and national security are intertwined and the private sector has increasingly become the catalyst behind developing new technologies. For example, semiconductor chips are vital for enabling other emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, which in turn is expected to become increasingly important for both civilian and military applications. Here, I discuss lessons learned from the Netherlands’ experience in managing its dual-use technology in an era of great power competition between the US and China. The most important lessons learned are the power of open and transparent communication with all actors involved, the adaptation of a whole-of-nation approach, and the awareness that sovereign nations have the power and ability to make their own decisions. The cooperation between the Dutch Government and a private company that designs and manufactures lithography machines essential for producing chips positively evolved and effectively contributed to pursuing both the Netherlands’ economic and national security interests.