The term “Dual Use” refers to products and technologies that, although originally designed for civilian purposes, can be misused for the manufacture, development, or maintenance of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons.
The export of such items is therefore regulated worldwide by a complex set of laws aimed at preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Since 2016, the Polytechnic School, and since 2019 the entire University of Genoa (UniGe), has established a partnership with RINA to support the industrial sector — and later the academic and research community — in addressing the challenges posed by export control and the risks associated with Dual Use.
This collaboration initially benefited from the support of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, and later from the UAMA Unit (Authorization Unit for Armament Materials) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as well as from the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency.
Over the years, UniGe has contributed to the analysis of dozens of cases in various industrial sectors, as well as cases arising from academic activities.
All Dual Use-related activities at UniGe are coordinated by the University Strategic Center for Security, Risk and Vulnerability.