Spiez CONVERGENCE Workshop Reports
[Spiez Convergence]
At Spiez CONVERGENCE, workshop participants discuss how advancements in biotechnology and chemistry may affect production technologies for toxins and assess the potential implications for the BWC and the CWC. The Spiez Laboratory publishes a workshop report which provides an overview of these new technologies and their security implications.
SUMMARY
In 2014, the Swiss Government initiated a workshop series called Spiez CONVERGENCE, hosted by the Spiez Laboratory. The objective of the conference series was to identify developments in chemistry, biology, and related technologies that may have implications for the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). Participants at the Spiez CONVERGENCE workshops discuss these emerging technologies and potential implications for chemical and biological arms control.
Our library includes a report on the fifth Spiez CONVERGENCE workshop in September 2022. Reports from the most recent workshop and all previous workshops are available on the Spiez Laboratory’s website. The website may be viewed in English, German, French, Italian, or English. However, as of January 2024, these specific reports are only available in English.
The Spiez Laboratory is the Swiss government institute tasked with protecting the population from nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. It is part of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sports (DDPS) and is one of the five labs in the world permanently certified by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
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