Government to prepare plan to bolster research security

Italy is preparing a plan to shield its universities and research from foreign influence, a government undersecretary said on Thursday 7 November, to prevent other nations from obtaining valuable scientific and technological knowledge, reports Reuters.

Successive Italian governments have used anti-takeover legislation to ward off undesired bids – mostly targeting Chinese investments – in industries deemed of strategic importance.

But the so-called golden powers of the government, giving it authority to veto or restrict foreign investment in key assets, cannot be used on universities and research entities. There was evidence of hostile agents using “increasingly sophisticated strategies” to gain access to Italy’s most advanced knowledge, Alfredo Mantovano, a senior undersecretary in charge of intelligence matters, told a news conference.
Full report on The NRI Nation site