Dual-Use Technologies

Inexorable Progress, Inseparable Peril

Emerging technologies in the fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, nuclear research, and information technology have great promise to enrich our lives. In the new security environment, however, these new technologies must be examined carefully, especially with regard to their potential dual-use nature. This report addresses the difficulties of writing and enforcing regulations with the intent to curb dual-use technology proliferation brought on by the ubiquitous tools used to develop new technologies.

Julie E. Fischer is a senior associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was an international affairs fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Anne G.K. Solomon

Julie E. Fischer