"Attention to knowledge security is important to prevent high-quality knowledge from being unintentionally used for military purposes and the oppression of people by totalitarian regimes, for example. I am therefore pleased with initiatives from our government, such as the knowledge security counter and the knowledge security guideline, which help us raise awareness and help scientists make the right decisions when entering into partnerships.
I am less pleased with the prospect of us structurally assessing cooperation with scientists outside the EU by means of a legal framework that affects a very large number of research areas, especially if the aim seems to be to protect not only national security but also our economic interests, because I do not believe in the latter. We can only remain scientifically and therefore technologically ahead if we share knowledge and exchange scientists, also outside the EU This has made Dutch science and innovative power strong in the past and there is no reason to assume that it will not continue to be the same in the future. "
*Read the entire annual speech on the website of the KNAW