Internationalisation takes science further: access to and exchange of knowledge, infrastructure, data, experts and project funding between international partners contribute to generate excellent knowledge, overcome global challenges and achieve economic and technological progress.
However, in view of geopolitical tensions, scientific exchange at international level can also be misused - for example through unwanted knowledge and technology transfer, unequal access to resources or unwanted military applications. These risks exist in particular with partners in countries whose political systems are not in line with fundamental European values.
OPERATE for more freedom, openness and cooperation
The DLR Project Management Agency has developed OPERATE with the aim of preserving freedom, openness and the ability of science to cooperate, while at the same time protecting it from misuse. This requires well-founded decisions. OPERATE is a web-based online tool that guides users through a two-stage systematic evaluation and discussion process that can be set up by decision-makers at higher education and research institutions and to which group of scientists is invited. In stage 1, they answer questions individually and in stage 2 as a group about the probability and impact of opportunities and risks occurring in a specific collaboration.
Based on the answers, OPERATE creates an opportunity and risk matrix. It visualizes whether participants rate the opportunities and risks as high or low. This allows the group to develop a common understanding and discuss measures to increase opportunities, reduce risks and make informed decisions.
Setting up evaluation panels with OPERATE is restricted to users. People who carry out opportunity and risk analyses in higher education and research institutions can register, for example senior researchers or administrative staff. The DLR Project Management Agency offers its support for this.
