As Germany ramps up spending on its military, a clash is brewing around what some politicians and defense executives say is one of the nation’s biggest untapped resources: public universities.
The debate centers on so-called civil clauses — widely used policies at major research institutions that restrict collaboration with the defense industry. They date back to the Cold War, and now even some academics want to get rid of them.
"At a time when security is more important than ever, we consider the civil clause to be a relic of the past,” said Klaus Kappen, chief technology officer of Rheinmetall, Germany’s biggest defense contractor. "Every university that gets rid of it is keeping with the times and sending a valuable signal for the joint protection of our society’s values.”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.