Guide for combating industrial espionage during collaborative research projects.

This guide is aimed at players who collaborate with companies involved in research and development. Accordingly, the primary target group is institutions, educational establishments and science and technology parks. The guide focuses on industrial espionage, which is the illicit acquisition of information for the purpose of conferring competitive commercial advantage.

According to the Swedish Security Service, industrial espionage in Sweden has attained alarming levels in recent years, and has morphed into new forms. Two aspects have become particularly clear. Firstly, industrial espionage is largely orchestrated through state-supported foreign organisations, and, secondly, educational establishments, institutions and science and technology parks are increasingly the primary targets. The annual cost in direct losses generated by industrial espionage amounts to billions of Swedish Kronor.

The purpose of this guide is to highlight important aspects which make it easier to integrate a security dimension into collaborative research projects. It focuses on collaboration in general and international collaboration in particular. The starting point is that taking security into account facilitates more effective collaboration and reduces the risk of jeopardising future competitiveness. The guide is intended primarily for senior staff at institutions, educational establishments and science and technology parks who are responsible for or in charge of research collaboration with the commercial sector.

The content is, however, relevant to everyone who works in research, development and innovation. The information on which it is based has been drawn primarily from the Swedish Security Service, the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), the Australian Department of Education, Skills and Employment, the UK’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and the Swedish Security and Defense Industry Association (SOFF). The guide has been produced jointly by the employers’ organisation the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries and the Swedish Security and Defense Industry Association (SOFF). The Association of Swedish Engineering Industries represents over 4,200 manufacturing and related companies which develop and utilise technology. SOFF represents over 200 companies in the security and defence fields operating in Sweden.