“Dual-Use Technologies in Academic Research: Interdisciplinary Perspectives”
27-28 November 2026
Corso Rodolfo Montevecchio, 38 - 10129 Torino (Italy)
Keynotes Speakers (confirmed so far):
Angela Liberatore (European University Institute)
Seumas Miller (Charles Sturt University, Canberra, Australia)
Mario Pianta (Scuola Normale Superiore, Firenze)
Alex Wellerstein (Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey, USA & Sciences Po, France)
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
Emerging technologies developed within academic research play a crucial role in advancing science, innovation, and social well-being. However, many of these technologies have a dual-use potential: the same knowledge, methods, or tools that enable beneficial applications may also be repurposed for military or harmful uses. This duality raises important questions about research responsibility, academic freedom, ethics, and governance.
This international conference invites contributions exploring dual-use technologies in academic research from both engineering and social sciences and humanities (SSH/STS) perspectives. Its goal is to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on how dual-use concerns emerge, how they are addressed in practice, and how they influence or reshape the relationship between technology, society, and institutions.
We welcome abstracts addressing dual-use issues in engineering and scientific fields –including, but not limited to, aerospace, chemical and nuclear engineering, biotechnology, cybersecurity, data-intensive systems, and artificial intelligence – as well as contributions from ethics, sociology, science and technology studies (STS), history of technology, economics, political science, law, and related disciplines.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
- Conceptualizations of dual use and misuse of research results
- Dual-use research of concern (DURC) in academic contexts
- Ethical and societal implications of dual-use technologies
- Governance, and institutional oversight of research
- Academic freedom, security concerns, and state regulation
- Collaboration with industry, government, and international partners
- Dissemination, publication, and responsibility in research communication
- Economic models of dual-use innovation, knowledge diffusion, and R&D incentives
- Trade, export controls, and sanctions in dual-use goods
- Dual use regulation, industrial policy, and firm behavior
- National security, defense economics, and spillovers to civilian markets
The conference encourages interdisciplinary approaches and contributions from scholars at all career stages.
Conference language: English
Abstracts Submission
We invite submissions of abstracts for presentations within the conference tracks to applications.theseus@polito.it. Abstracts should be no more than 500 words and clearly articulate the research question(s)/hypothesis, methodology, key findings, and implications of the work. Proponents should also include a short cv (not more than 80 words).
Important Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: 31 July 2026
Notification of Acceptance: 20 September 2026
Conference Dates: 27-28 November 2026
Scientific Organizing Committee:
Marco Cantamessa (Politecnico di Torino)
Anna D’Ambrosio (Politecnico di Torino)
Roberto Lalli (Theseus, Politecnico di Torino)
Alvise Mattozzi (Theseus, Politecnico di Torino)
Francesco Nicoli (Theseus, Politecnico di Torino)
Marzia Quaglio (Politecnico di Torino)
Stefano Sacchi (Theseus, Politecnico di Torino)
Giuseppe Tipaldo (Theseus, Politecnico di Torino)
Vera Tripodi (Theseus, Politecnico di Torino)