CUSPE 2018 Communications Special Issue: Emerging Technology and Policy EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY 1 Article Page numbers Blockchain policy inertia: Where’s the 5-9 disruption? Aisha Sobey Building a secure, quantum internet for the 10-14 future: will the UK’s science policy keep up? Alex Koehler-Sidki Data Governance in the Genomics Era 15-18 Emma Lawrence A Cutting-edge IP Litigation: the European Front 19-24 of CRISPR Patent War Michele Sanguanini Innovation in the Fight Against Infectious 25-28 Disease Daniela Rodriguez-Rincon Consider Fracking Your Backyard 29-33 Amanda Murphy The Art of Science Diplomacy 34-38 Mrittunjoy Guha Majumdar Prospective and Retrospective Rigour: Scientific 39-43 Evaluation of Environmental Policy Kasey Markel Ensuring Societal Advancement through 44-48 Science and Technology: Pathways to Scientific Integration Stephanie Bazley EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY 2 Editor’s Note Erin Cullen, Head of Publications 2017/2018 An emerging technology is a technology emerging technologies and policy, that is in development, or that will be starting with three articles that examine developed in the next decade. It is a the emerging technologies of the digital technology that is capable of changing age. the status quo, and to disrupt the business or social environment in which it finds itself. But regulation for these Aisha Sobey eloquently explains how technologies is proving to be a Blockchain operates (elaborating on challenge, and it will be necessary to Distributed Ledger Technology, the find a balance between protecting technology behind virtual currencies society and ensuring that innovation is such as Bitcoin), and examines the not stifled. complexity surrounding legislation for The Cambridge Science and Policy this issue; does it stifle or promote Forum, held by CUSPE in 2018 was the innovation? Alex Koehler-Sidki then first in the society’s history. One of the examines the advent of the quantum important topics tackled by experts at internet, and ponders whether the UK’s the forum was opportunities for science policy will keep up with new collaboration in regulating emerging developments? An increasing amount of technologies. Artificial intelligence and machine learning were discussed in data is gathered on many aspects of detail as two of the new technologies individuals’ lives. Emma Lawrence that governments will soon need to examines the potential of using genomic consider. The impasse that can be data in medical research and explains reached between policy makers and policy approaches to address these developers was addressed, along with challenges. the perceived usefulness of regulation. The potential of ‘reusing’ existing regulation for new technologies was also CRISPR technology, a gene editing discussed in great detail. technology has many applications in research and in the wider context of This special issue brings together gene therapy, manufacturing and articles published by CUSPE over the agriculture. Here, Michele Sanguanini last year. They tackle the theme of looks at the patenting contest EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY 3 surrounding CRISPR in the European these articles highlight the challenges context. Daniela Rodriguez-Rincon then for policy makers when legislating in a examines the current infectious disease rapidly changing technological landscape and advocates a multi- environment. I hope you enjoy reading sectorial approach to tackle infectious these articles as much as we have disease. Moving to the environment, enjoyed editing and working on the Amanda Murphy dives into the divisive publications team this year. nature of fracking, and whether we should start fracking in the world’s urban areas. Erin Cullen Head of Publications, 2017-2018 CUSPE Finally, a dialogue between the developers of new technologies, governments and the public is essential Erin is a PhD candidate in the both for the progress of technology and Department of Plant Sciences, studying for society to benefit. Stephanie Bazley, plant evolution and development. Erin is Kasey Markel and Mrittunjoy Guha particularly interested in policy related to food security and the use of Majumdar examine this dialogue in their evidence-based policy in government. articles looking at the integration of You can reach her at [email protected]. science policy, environmental policy and science diplomacy respectively. All of Acknowledgements Thank you to the authors that agreed to have their contributions included in this mini- release. And of course a great many thanks to all the fantastic editors who worked hard in the 2017-2018 year: Hinal Tanna Philipe Bujold Roxine Staats Maggie Westwater Shan Chong Amber Ruigrok EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY 4 Blockchain policy inertia: Where’s the disruption? Aisha Sobey, MPhil in IR and Politics, University of Cambridge lockchain has been framed as a uptake and the current potential of the technology that could alter the shape technology. of the world dramatically in the B coming decades, influencing how we What is Blockchain? act and govern ourselves as a Blockchain, also known as distributed society, as the decentralised nature of ledger technology (DLT), is a Blockchain means that these networks decentralised networked database and wouldn’t be controlled by one person, way of recording transactions between group, corporation or government. the members of the network [2]. Reuters [1] expects blockchain to be disruptive, to move from simple applications to displacing central market competitors, in many areas such as healthcare, tax and accounting, politics and entertainment. In healthcare for example, the nature of blockchain means it can be used in patient records, to increase consistency, remove duplication and aid in sharing information between relevant authorities. However, the relationship between technology and governance is reciprocal, Figure 1. Source: [3] This shows the as technology may enable new forms of three layers of DLT, and the protocol governance, but it is also defined and layer is the significant base on which constrained by the regulation and future layers are built. Each protocol actions of governments. In this article, layer sets out the expected behavior in the dynamic between the two will be the subsequent networks built on it. explored to explain the lack of policy or uptake of Blockchain into government There are three layers of DLT: the services, even though it is hailed as protocol layer, the network layer and the such a potentially significant application layer [3]. The protocol advancement. The very interplay comprises the main building blocks of between policy and technology in this the network, and developers of this instance is because of the keen social layer are likely to influence further and political implications Blockchain layers in the stack, as they are the could have, meaning that the two areas foundation on which subsequent layers have reached a stalemate, slowing the are built. The protocol layer differs from EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY 5 traditional internet protocol layers, such which run in isolated streams. This not as HTTP/HTTPS. Traditional internet only makes sharing data difficult, but protocol layers allow computers to when a single application is communicate effectively, but require a compromised, this affects many other large amount of descriptive addition by applications. applications such as Google or Facebook to enable the user to interact with the How does it work? data. This setup means that centralised Blockchains organise the data into corporations own the data and require immutable blocks, or records of sensitive information, such as bank transactions, uniquely referenced to the details, to be entered each time a block that came before it. The use of purchase is made. chronological sequences makes issues DLT uses cryptographically secure such as data changing or tampering near protocols to govern the rules, operations impossible as changes to block and communication on the networks, information have to be agreed upon by however, these protocols are much more members of the network. How specific and descriptive of the niche transactional information joins the chain networks that can operate on them. For is highlighted by the example below example, Etherium is an open-source based on cryptocurrency. protocol used in smart contracts [4], while R3’s Corda is specialised for use to record financial agreements between regulated financial institutions. Other significant protocols include the Hyperledger, Bitcoin and Ripple Consensus network [5, 6, 7]. The network layer is made up of a custom blockchain network, or multiple networks, for users, built on existing protocols and governed by the network operator. Examples of these networks include the IMB Blockchain Platform [2, 5] (built using Hyperledger Fabric) and Mosaic [6]. The application layer Figure 2. Source: [1] Using money as comprises of all the custom applications the example, this shows the steps built on the network. These applications required to add information to a can be built and run by the network blockchain. The decentralised authority operator or by third parties. Examples of is highlighted as the network highlights DLT apps include cryptocurrencies and the vailidity of the transaction. Once online contracts. One benefit of DLT at verified, the information joins the the application stage is that as the sequence and is near impossible to server is shared between all network tamper with. participants, and built on this, anyone can create applications