Geo-tech politics: Why technology shapes European power
New technologies are a significant force shaping international relations. If the EU wants to be more than a mediator between the US and China, it will need to change its mindset.
Experts & Staff
Ulrike Franke
Senior Policy Fellow
Areas of expertise
German foreign and defence policy; technology and geopolitics; UAVs/drones; artificial intelligence; military technology
Languages
French, English, German
Biography
Dr. Ulrike Franke is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). She leads ECFR’s Technology and European Power initiative. Her areas of focus include German and European security and defence, the future of warfare, and the impact of new technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence on geopolitics and warfare.
Franke has published widely on these and other topics, among others in Die Zeit, FAZ, RUSI Whitehall Papers, Comparative Strategy, War on the Rocks, Zeitschrift für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik, and regularly appears as commentator in the media. She co-hosts the Sicherheitshalber Podcast, a German-language podcast on security and defence.
She holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Oxford – in her PhD thesis, she studied the use of drones by western armed forces. She also holds a BA from Sciences Po Paris and a double summa cum laude MA degree from Sciences Po Paris (Affaires internationales/Sécurité internationale) and the University of St. Gallen (International Affairs and Governance).
Franke is a policy affiliate at the Governance of AI project at Oxford University’s Future of Humanity Institute. She was also part of UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism Ben Emmerson’s research team, examining drone use in counterterrorism contexts. Prior to this she worked as a part-time research assistant at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) in London.
Publications
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Military Robots and Drones”, Routledge Handbook of Defence Studies, 2018
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Germany charts its place in the world, but struggles to adapt to changing realities”, War on the Rocks, February 2018
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Flying IEDs: The next big threat?”, War on the Rocks, October 2016
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Proliferated Drones. A Perspective on Germany”, Center for a New American Security, 2016
- Franke, Ulrike E., Mark Leonard, “A Global survey of economic coercion”, in: The Age of Economic Coercion, World Economic Forum, White Paper, 2016
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Automatisierte und autonome Systeme in der Militär- und Waffentechnik“, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ), 35-36/2016
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Civilian Drones: Fixing an Image Problem?” CSS Zürich, January 2015
- Franke, Ulrike E., “The global diffusion of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or ‘drones‘“, in: Aaronson et al (ed.) Precision-Strike Capabilities and International Intervention, Routledge, 2014
- Franke, Ulrike E. and Alexander Leveringhaus, “Militärische Robotik“, in: Jäger (Hrs.) Handbuch Sicherheitsgefahren, Springer: 2014
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Drone Proliferation: A Cause for Concern?”, International Relation and Security Network(ISN), ETH Zurich, 13 November 2014
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Armed Drones? Jein! Germany’s Qualified Decision for Armed UAVs”, ISN, 8 August 2014
- Franke, Ulrike E., “The Flawed German Debate on Armed Drone Acquisition: “What Does This Have to Do with Our Procurement Plans, for God’s Sake?”, ISN, 20 June 2014
- Franke, Ulrike E., “U.S. Drones are from Mars, Euro Drones are from Venus”, War on the Rocks, 19 May 2014
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Drones, Drone Strikes, and US-policy. The politics of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” US War College Quarterly, Parameters, 44.1, Spring 2014
- Franke, Ulrike E., Which Drone Suits Me Best? Germany’s Difficult Decision to Procure an Armed ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicle’“, Zeitschrift für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik, 6.4, Oct. 2013
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Verbreitung von unbemannten Flugzeuge für den militärischen Gebrauch“, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte (APuZ), 37/2013
- Franke, Ulrike E., “Drone Wars”, Commentary and Reply, US War College Quarterly, Parameters, 43.2
- Franke, Ulrike E. “A tale of stumbling blocks and road bumps –Germany’s (non-) Revolution in Military Affairs,“ Comparative Strategy, 31.4
- Franke, Ulrike E., “The Five Most Common Media Misrepresentations of UAVs”, in: Michael Aaronson and Adrian Johnson (ed.) Whitehall Report 2-13, RUSI, March 2013
- Franke, Ulrike E. “Politik studieren und Plakate kleben”, Internationale Politik, Januar/Februar 2013
Ambiguous alliance: Neutrality, opt-outs, and European defence
The EU’s work on its Strategic Compass should include debates on the special status states’ future role in European defence
14 Jun
Deutschland vor der Wahl – Einschätzungen aus der Perspektive internationaler Politik
Der Checkpoint EXTRA findet als Kooperation zwischen der bpb und dem Berliner Büro des European Council on Foreign Relations statt
27 Apr
Digital sovereignty of the European Union in the international arena
First part of a series jointly organised by the European Movement International and ECFR exploring the challenges the European Union is facing
14 Apr
ECFR x Intelligence² Germany – Debate: We must stop big data’s pandemic power grab
An Oxford-style debate in cooperation with Intelligence² Germany
Artificial divide: How Europe and America could clash over AI
Artificial intelligence is a rapidly advancing field that policymakers everywhere are struggling to keep up with
Why a ‘Black-Green’ German government could finally create a coherent defence policy
The election of a new CDU party leader last weekend might be the first step towards a novel Black-Green coalition government – whose defence policy could be surprisingly visionary, if the parties are willing to work together
How Britain and the EU could cooperate on defence after Brexit
The UK will have to decide how involved it wants to be in EU defence efforts. It seems likely that the country’s aim will be to have flexible structures that allow it to plug into European foreign and defence policy where doing so is in its interests.
EU Cohesion Monitor
European cohesion is bouncing back after crisis years. The EU Cohesion Monitor presents new insights on cohesion as an underestimated source of strength and collective action in the EU.
What are we actually fighting about? Germany, France, and the spectre of European autonomy
France and Germany have different priorities, but both partners come to the same conclusion: Europe must do more
Publications
Geo-tech politics: Why technology shapes European power
New technologies are a significant force shaping international relations. If the EU wants to be more than a mediator between the US and China, it will need to change its mindset.
Ambiguous alliance: Neutrality, opt-outs, and European defence
The EU’s work on its Strategic Compass should include debates on the special status states’ future role in European defence
Artificial divide: How Europe and America could clash over AI
Artificial intelligence is a rapidly advancing field that policymakers everywhere are struggling to keep up with
Europe’s digital sovereignty: From rulemaker to superpower in the age of US-China rivalry
The EU cannot continue to rely on its regulatory power but must become a tech superpower in its own right. Referees do not win the game.
The big engine that might: How France and Germany can build a geopolitical Europe
The EU Coalition Explorer survey reveals the importance of Germany and France within the EU, and the impact they can have when they cooperate with each other
Not smart enough: The poverty of European military thinking on artificial intelligence
Failing to coordinate properly in the AI area could threaten future European defence cooperation, including PESCO and the European Defence
Machine politics: Europe and the AI revolution
The EU appears to be largely uninterested in AI’s geopolitical importance, but its member states can only influence the global development of AI if they act tog
Harnessing artificial intelligence
If Europe does not address these difficult questions soon it will find itself surrounded by more powerful rivals deploying AI against it
The Young and the Restful: Why young Germans have no vision for Europe
Polls and interviews conducted for the paper indicate that German millennials are surprisingly conservative and liable to status quo bias
Connectivity Wars
Why migration, finance and trade are the geo-economic battlegrounds of the future
Articles
Foreign and defence policy in the German election
The parties in Germany’s next coalition government could find it hard to bridge their differences on foreign and defence policy
Why Afghanistan was not a failure of European strategic autonomy
Hand-wringing over Europe’s supposed failure to step up in Afghanistan ignores the fact that Europeans were principally there to support the US
Europe needs a change in mindset on technology and geopolitics
Technological change is already having far-reaching effects on the international balance of power. If the EU is to become a true geopolitical actor, it cannot shy away from these challenges
Why a ‘Black-Green’ German government could finally create a coherent defence policy
The election of a new CDU party leader last weekend might be the first step towards a novel Black-Green coalition government – whose defence policy could be surprisingly visionary, if the parties are willing to work together
How Britain and the EU could cooperate on defence after Brexit
The UK will have to decide how involved it wants to be in EU defence efforts. It seems likely that the country’s aim will be to have flexible structures that allow it to plug into European foreign and defence policy where doing so is in its interests.
What are we actually fighting about? Germany, France, and the spectre of European autonomy
France and Germany have different priorities, but both partners come to the same conclusion: Europe must do more
Second acts: How Europe can renew the transatlantic partnership
This could be the moment to build a more balanced transatlantic relationship, with Europeans showing the US where we need it to engage, and how – rather than simply waiting for cues from Washington
Beware of mission-accomplished syndrome: Germany and European defence
It is ill-advised for Germany to be complacent on common European defence – especially at a moment when the country holds the presidency of the Council of the EU
Why Europe needs a recovery plan for strategic autonomy
Just as they have on the economic recovery, Berlin and Paris must overcome their differences and present a courageous plan to create a Europe that takes decisive geopolitical action
Upstaged: Europe’s struggles to play the great tech game
This year’s Munich Security Conference showed once again that just two players will fight the global battle over tech. And guess who’s missing.
Specials
European Sovereignty Index
The EU can overcome the new challenges it faces and can shape the global order. To achieve this, Europeans will need to improve their joint capacity to act.
EU Cohesion Monitor
European cohesion is bouncing back after crisis years. The EU Cohesion Monitor presents new insights on cohesion as an underestimated source of strength and collective action in the EU.
EU Coalition Explorer
The Coalition Explorer illustrates the expert opinions of more than 800 respondents who work on European policy and creates a visual understanding of the views held by Europe’s professional political class
European Solidarity Tracker
The European Solidarity Tracker collects and displays instances of pan-European solidarity throughout the coronavirus crisis
Independence play: Europe’s pursuit of strategic autonomy
To fulfil its true potential, the EU needs to end its strategic cacophony and focus on capability building
The nightmare of the dark: The security fears that keep Europeans awake at night
Great power competition is increasingly shaping Europeans’ security environment, while other security threats are also on the rise, from terrorism and cyber attacks to climate change
New European Security Initiative
Edited by Ulrike Esther Franke, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil & Susi Dennison
Podcasts
Live from the Munich Security Conference: Where is world politics turning?
Mark Leonard reports live from the Munich Security Conference
Lead time: How Germany should move on from Merkel | Episode 4 – Tech
What are the necessary steps the new German government needs to take to advance and support European tech sovereignty?
CDU foreign policy post-Merkel
How would a chancellor Armin Laschet approach foreign policy questions on China, Russia, and defence?
The geopolitics of technology
The EU is often described as a “regulatory superpower” benefitting from the so-called “Brussels effect.” But is the bloc also able to set its own rules and standards when it comes to new technologies?
Why Europe cannot become a giant Switzerland – geopolitical challenges in times of covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has shaken the EU’s conception of order and exposed a gap between European aspirations and actions. Firstly, Europeans are confronted with the…
Surveillance and the inevitable AI future
In this week’s episode, we feature one of the focus sessions from our Annual Council Meeting this June. Policy Fellow Ulrike Franke moderated this online…
Where there’s a will, there’s a way: France, Germany and EU coalition building
In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard presents the new and third edition of ECFR´s Coalition explorer, which also included special questions regarding the impact of…
App-solutely necessary? Technology as a way out of the coronavirus crisis
Word on the street seems to suggest that technology will be the way out of the coronavirus crisis and the lockdowns in many European countries. This…
Feeling the Westlessness at the Munich Security Conference 2020
The annual Munich Security Conference was themed “Westlessness”, defining “a widespread feeling of uneasiness and restlessness in the face of increasing uncertainty about the enduring purpose…
Harnessing artificial intelligence
In this episode of ECFR’s special summer series on European strategic sovereignty, Mark Leonard talks to Ulrike Franke, ECFR Policy Fellow, about artificial intelligence (AI). Mark…
Events
22 May
European defence: Expectations and demands of non-EU partners
This event is part of the German Forum on Security Policy, organised by the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS).
13 Jan
Deutsch-französische Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der europäischen Verteidigungsindustrie || La coopération franco-allemande dans le domaine de l’industrie européenne de la défense
Deutsch-französische Debatte zu Rüstungskooperation im Kontext strategischer Autonomie | Un évènement franco-allemand dans le domaine de l’industrie de défense, pour la construction d’une autonomie stratégique
14 Jun
Deutschland vor der Wahl – Einschätzungen aus der Perspektive internationaler Politik
Der Checkpoint EXTRA findet als Kooperation zwischen der bpb und dem Berliner Büro des European Council on Foreign Relations statt
27 Apr
Digital sovereignty of the European Union in the international arena
First part of a series jointly organised by the European Movement International and ECFR exploring the challenges the European Union is facing
14 Apr
ECFR x Intelligence² Germany – Debate: We must stop big data’s pandemic power grab
An Oxford-style debate in cooperation with Intelligence² Germany
12 Nov
Artificial Intelligence in Geopolitics and Warfare: The London – Brussels – DC Connection
A discussion workshop on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on geopolitics and warfare, and how Europe and the US can work together for everyone’s benefit
In the media
This is a challenge with FCAS, not to provide open gateways for attacks due to the many integrated systems. One consequence could be not to create the “combat cloud” too large.
Security expert Ulrike Franke explains in the interview, why the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is “next generation”, and which obstacles it faces for exactly this reason
[The Reaper is] indeed one of the most capable, most sophisticated and most armable drones
Ulrike Franke answers questions about the reported US drone crash
Ulrike Franke explains the role of military imitations in warfare
Ulrike Franke answers questions on the German defence manufactory and industry
Ulrike Franke discusses the US-German relationship