Government scrutinizes security ramifications of High Tech Campus deal

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) is looking into information security and national security implications associated with the sale of the High Tech Campus Eindhoven (HTCE). The campus was recently acquired by the American firm Oaktree Capital Management, through a fund in which Singapore state-owned GIC turned out to be the main investor. In a letter to parliament, responding to questions from two members (link in Dutch), Economy Minister Stef Blok writes that EZK is investigating whether additional measures are necessary to safeguard the sensitive technology that’s being developed or used at HTCE.

The deal itself isn’t under scrutiny. According to Blok in his letter, the government was informed by the buyer, the seller and a tenant when the plans were still at an exploratory stage, but EZK saw no legal grounds to vet a real-estate transaction like this for national security risks, nor does it see any to reverse it now. The only requirement was to give notice to the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), which approved the sale in September.

EZK does have concerns about whether the deal may give unauthorized persons direct access to the HTCE locations where sensitive technology is being developed or used. This technology and any business-sensitive information may require better protection from theft. The ministry is currently looking into this and talking to HTCE Site Management about the matter.