Workshop on
International Traffic in Arms Regulations:
Impact on Science, Technology, and National Security

Monday, July 27th, 2015
Potomac Institute for Policy Studies

RSEC serves to study and influence the regulatory process by
incorporating the best available science into its policy recommendations.

The Department of State’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
controls the export of defense articles. The goal of ITAR is to maintain the
United States’ edge in defense technology and safeguard national security by
denying advanced military technologies to potential foreign adversaries. In
order to achieve this goal, ITAR restricts the ability of companies to develop
and export technologies with potential military use and limits the ability of
researchers to collaborate with international partners and share technical
information. The State Department’s most recent ITAR amendments attempt
to address concerns about the impact of ITAR on domestic innovation, but
there is an ongoing debate among commercial, government, and academic
stakeholders about the impact of ITAR on national security and science and
technology research.

This workshop aims to discuss the ITAR’s impact on domestic science and
technology research, foreign defense capabilities, and national security. The
distinguished participants in this discussion will provide insight on their
experiences with ITAR and its current ability to deter foreign adversaries from
obtaining advanced military technologies. We hope that this workshop will lead
to a beneficial discussion on the current effects of ITAR and implications for
reform.