For our second exclusive interview, we turned our sights further north to Finland, where Katja Creutz of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs resides. Katja leads a work package titled “Geopolitics in Technology Governance” under REMIT, and is hard at work helping to prepare 2 (!) special issues from under her WP. What else is could they be up to? Katja will tell you more below!
What are the themes of your work package, and what outputs are we looking to achieve – both big and small? Who are working with you, and what are their main contributions?
In our work package we explore geopolitics and technology governance, that is how key actors like the EU, US and China see that technology should be approached and governed. We identify and analyse advocacy coalitions within the key actors and transnationally to be able to draw conclusions on how multilateralism could be advanced.
Academic research is at the heart of the project, and we are working to have out two special issues and an edited volume. We also try to bring our research results to the attention of the broader public as well as influence policy makers.
Our work package includes several parterns with various expertise and from different geographical locations: UM; EUR; UBB; LUISS and FIIA. I am very happy to see that the project has triggered fruitful cooperation amongst the partners on many issues and academic endeavours.
If and how has the ever-changing global politics changed the topics within your work package so far, and what do you foresee for the future?
The main change during the project has occurred with the US administration and the Trump 2.0 presidency. The transactional approach of his administration does not benefit international institutions, which are – and should be – important players in the field of technology governance. Another development that we have witnessed during the project is the ever-increasing importance of technology for great power politics and the race for global leadership. It is nowadays impossible to speak about global politics without addressing issues of technology.
What would, at the end of the 4 years of our project, the work of your WP look like for you to call it a complete success?
We naturally strive to fulfill all the project deliverables as promised, which means being able at the end of the project to present policy recommendations for the EU on how to navigate rising multipolarity, multilateral cooperation and issues of technology. The aim is also to produce high-level research, both academic and policy oriented, that have a long life-span and will be academically influential. Hopefully the project will help researchers and especially doctoral candidates to grow within their own respective disciplines. Success also requires paying attention to the public and engaging in discussions on how the key actors see technology governance.