“It’s important to have this discussion”

Against the backdrop of a changing global security landscape, KIT‘s Executive Board published a position paper on security-related research at KIT in April 2026. In it, the Executive Board expresses KIT’s commitment to making scientific contributions to strengthening internal and external security and, thereby, to the resilience of democracy. It also emphasizes the need for a critically reflective and ethically grounded approach. In a recent joint video interview, KIT President Professor Jan S. Hesthaven and Professor Oliver Kraft, KIT Vice President Academic Affairs, discussed key research topics, dual-use technologies, and clear boundaries.

“Unfortunately, the times are such that the question of defense and security in our civil society is an important and relevant one – and therefore, it is important for us as a tax-payed institution to position ourselves in this debate,“ Hesthaven says in the interview. He explains the importance of showing what KIT can contribute, not only to defense but also to security. For instance, how to ensure the supply of medication, water, or food in times of crisis, as well as how to build defense systems to protect ourselves from external threats. “Having this discussion at KIT is important and it is also a theme that is increasingly brought to us from both the ministries and also from industry,“ Hesthaven emphasizes. 

tsc, June 24, 2026