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The Knowledge Security Desk has made a significant contribution in recent years to increasing awareness and supporting knowledge institutions in strengthening their knowledge security policies. Institutions have been able to access the Desk and have used the advice to develop their own policies and practices. At the same time, the evaluation shows that the added value of the Desk in its current form is decreasing, especially for more experienced institutions that now perceive the advice as relatively generic or not very distinctive. These are the main conclusions of our evaluation of the Knowledge Security Desk, conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).
The changing needs in the field are placing new demands on the Desk. Institutions are increasingly requesting in-depth, context-specific advice, with more legal and technical expertise and faster turnaround times. The role of the learning community is also changing: while initially it greatly contributed to knowledge building and exchange, the need for more customisation and differentiation is growing. This creates a clear tension between the current mandate and the expectations from the sector.
Our evaluation thus shows that the Desk is at an important turning point. In order to remain relevant in the future, a clear repositioning is necessary: either further developing into a specialised expertise centre providing in-depth advice, or taking on a more streamlined role focused on information provision and support for less experienced institutions. The Ministry clearly opts for the first option, as evidenced in the progress report on knowledge security provided in the House of Representatives letter. The Desk will be developed into an expertise centre that must offer more expertise on sanction and export legislation and (sensitive) technology.
On 11th June 2026, a House of Representatives letter about the Knowledge Security approach was shared. This is a combined response regarding the evaluations of the Knowledge Security Desk and the Sector Outlook for Knowledge Security 2026.
