“The concept of ‘national security’ – or, to use the EU’s preferred term, ‘public security’ – is most usually associated with defence, dual-use technologies and critical energy and communications infrastructure. The Covid 19 crisis has demonstrated, however, the importance of a broader range of industries and commercial activities to countries’ fundamental interests. The infrastructure and businesses on which life and essential well-being depend have been shown to include food distributors, factories making personal protective equipment (PPE), and technology enterprises capable of turning their hands quickly to making medical equipment such as ventilators. Faced with a pandemic, countries will seek to prioritise the needs of their own populations. In a world which has become highly interdependent, the pandemic has highlighted the problems countries may face if they lack control of the technology and manufacturing facilities needed to respond to a major public health emergency.”