Motivations, Mechanisms and Determinants of Terrorist Technology Transfer

A comprehensive understanding of the processes by which terrorists and other violent non-state actors become aware of, pursue and ultimately acquire new technologies is increasingly vital to anticipating and countering emerging threats. One essential aspect, that has received relatively little attention, are the conditions surrounding the transfer of dangerous technologies to terrorists. The T3 project presents a preliminary research framework that systematically considers various components of this transfer and further analyzes this potential threat through two pilot case studies focusing on unmanned aerial vehicles and opioid (carfentanil)-related production technology.