Emerging research security approaches: organisational arrangements at three European universities

European and national policymakers have, in recent years, introduced new expectations regarding the safeguarding of research and innovation. However, the extant literature has paid limited attention to how universities interpret and operationalise these emerging research security agendas. This paper examines how research security is operationalised within universities through the interaction of policy framing, organisational structures, and local governance practices. Drawing on a comparative case study of three European universities, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden), the University of Barcelona (Spain), and the University of Liège (Belgium), the study investigates how research security policies are translated into organisational arrangements and everyday practices. The findings demonstrate that research security does not develop through a single governance model but is shaped by institution-specific interpretations of broader policy narratives. While common European concerns have encouraged convergence around issues such as risk management, awareness-raising, due diligence, and compliance, significant differences remain in how universities define challenges, assign responsibilities, and organise responses. The analysis further shows that export control compliance frequently serves as an entry point for broader research security initiatives. It concludes that research security is best understood as an evolving organisational field rather than a fixed or uniform policy framework.