Italy announces plan to shield research from foreign influence

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

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.

“The most affected technology sectors are biomedicine, robotics and semiconductors,” said Mantovano, a close aide to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, citing sponsorships and donations as among the vulnerable areas deserving attention.

The government did not provide further details on its plan.

Western nations have been concerned particularly about China’s attempts to gain access to valuable technology in recent years, but University and Research Minister Anna Maria Bernini denied the Italian plan would target any specific nation.

“There are no good or bad countries but good or bad practices … we are among the great producers of ideas that must be protected,” Bernini told reporters.

A source said the government’s plan might be ready before year-end and include a national centre to gather alerts on potential threats, to be established at the Ministry for University and Research.