Former intelligence director David Vigneault says innovation theft has become a major component of modern geopolitical conflict. Research institutions, he noted, now sit at the centre of this competition.
According to him, China is particularly aggressive in extracting sensitive technologies from Western universities. Its methods involve cyber sabotage, insider recruitment and targeted collaboration that masks intelligence goals.
Many researchers fail to recognise how valuable their work is to foreign militaries. Vigneault said hostile powers select targets based on long-term needs, often identifying research that has not yet reached commercial stages.
China’s military has been undergoing a decades-long transformation. The country’s leadership believes that acquiring foreign innovations is key to catching up with global powers.
Vigneault called for a coordinated response that includes governments, companies and universities. But he also reiterated that security measures must be grounded in fairness and must not stigmatize individuals.
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