Spectrum of Dual-use Technologies: Unforeseen Risks Versus Returns

The book on the Spectrum of Dual-Use Technologies provides information on innovations, technologies, and studies that offer practical knowledge, information, or product insights; however, it also articulates potential risks, including cascading or catastrophic risks to society. The term "dual-use technology," primarily used for defense applications, is now also applied to financial and industrial sectors. The scope is continuously growing, and it is quintessential to stay ahead of the curve, especially with the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI). The book covers several topics, ranging from AI, synthetic and biomedical technologies, nanotechnology, export controls, and educational practices within defense organizations. The book offers insights and support to practitioners and defense personnel concerned with managing expertise, knowledge, information, and policy development. Additionally, many researchers, graduate and postgraduate students, scientists, policymakers, industry professionals, and practitioners will find this book helpful. Lastly, some chapters can be adopted as text supplements for independent study projects.

VASEASHTA, Ashok, Acad. Prof. Dr. received a Ph.D. degree from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, in 1990, followed by Kobe’s post-doctoral fellowship. He was awarded an Honoris Causa doctorate from Riga Technical University, Honorary membership of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, and a Gold Medal for his academic leadership in Nanotechnology from the National Polytechnic University of Armenia. He is the Executive Director for strategic research with the International Clean Water Institute in Virginia, USA. He served as a Professor at Virginia Tech and Marshall University, Director of Research at the Institute for Advanced Sciences Convergence and International Clean Water Institute for Norwich University Applied Research Institutes, Vice-Provost (Rector) for Research in South Carolina, and Executive Director and Chair of the Institutional Review Board at a State University in New Jersey. He held visiting positions as a Professor at the Riga Technical University, Latvia, 3 Nano-SAE Research Centre, University of Bucharest, Romania, Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania; member of CIRET, France, and a scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. He served the U.S. Department of State in two rotations as a strategic S&T advisor in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism. He was the NATO project director for seven activities funded by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security program. Inspired by nature and guided by societal necessities, he strives for technological innovations to address the global challenges of the 21st century. He specializes in dual-use research to identify embedded hybrid threats, using research tools such as foresight, heuristics, artificial intelligence, and complexity science. His research interests include nanotechnology, environmental/ecotoxicology science, critical infrastructure protection, and the environmental impact of micro/nano plastics, all using the nexus of advanced technological solution platforms. He is the author/editor of 24 books and has published over 350 articles in scientific journals, book chapters, and conferences.

Álvaro Rocha holds the title of Honorary Professor and holds Habilitation in Information Science, Ph.D. in Information Systems and Technologies, M.Sc. in Information Management, and B.C.s in Computer Science. He is a Professor of Information Systems at the University of Lisbon - ISEG, Honorary Professor at Amity University, researcher at the ADVANCE (the ISEG Centre for Advanced Research in Management), and a collaborator researcher at CINTESIS. His main research interests are maturity models, management information systems, quality of information systems, intelligent information systems, cybersecurity, e-government, e-health, and information technology in education. He is also Vice-Chair of the IEEE Portugal Section Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society Chapter, and Founder of three journals: WJIS – World Journal of Information Systems, JISEM - Journal of Information Systems Engineering & Management, and Revista Ibérica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação/Iberian Journal of Information Systems and Technologies. He is also the Scientific Manager of the Information Systems Engineering & Management book series at Springer-Nature, the world's leading publisher of publications in Science, Technology, and Health. Moreover, he has served as Vice-Chair of Experts for the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Program, and as an Expert at the COST - intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology, at the E.C.’s Horizon Europe Program, at the Governments of Italy’s Ministry of Universities and Research, Latvia’s Ministry of Finance, Mexico's National Council of Science and Technology,  Polish's National Science Centre, Cyprus's Research and Innovation Foundation, and Slovak's Research Agency. Álvaro Rocha is a World’s Top 1% Scientist by Stanford University and Elsevier (2022 & 2023), Top 0.05% Scientist by ScholarGPS (2023), and Top 1% Scientist by ResearchGate in the Information Systems field (2022– 24).