/ˈespiənɑːʒ/
es·pi·on·age
BrE /ˈespiənɑːʒ/
NAmE /ˈespiənɑːʒ/
[U]
the activity of secretly getting important political or military information about another country or of finding out another company’s secrets by using spies
SYN spying
Some of the commercial activities were a cover for espionage.
She may call it research; I call it industrial espionage.
➡ see also counter-espionage