On October 20, 2023, CSS successfully organized an ETH workshop on the theme “Arms control and technological governance” in Zurich.
In a rapidly changing geopolitical and technological environment, the development of contemporary arms control and technological governance measures remains an important political task – also for Switzerland. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and intensifying great power competition have widened the cracks in the already strained arms control architecture. At the same time, rapid technological advances in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), information and communications technology, robotics, neuroscience and biotechnology create both risks and opportunities for technological governance. In particular, the adaptation of export control mechanisms and the increasing use of space as a strategic domain pose challenges in terms of arms control.
In this context, the aim of this non-public ETH (Chatham House Rules) workshop was to promote an informal exchange between politics, administration, economics and science on the topic of arms control and technological governance. Thus, three panels discussed the following subjects:
- Challenges for European security and arms control (Moderation: Dr Oliver Thränert, Head of Think Tank, CSS)
- Dual-use technologies and expert controls (Moderation: Sophie Reiners, senior researcher, Swiss and Euro-Atlantic Security, CSS)
- Governance in space (Moderation: Sarah Wiedemar, Researcher, Cyberdefense, Risk and Resilience Project, CSS)
