Defense innovation at any, out-of-control cost? Stalemates of today's R&D policy and a possible alternative model

Renaud Bellais ()
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Renaud Bellais: ENSTA Bretagne_SHS - Département Sciences Humaines et Sociales ENSTA Bretagne - ENSTA Bretagne - École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées Bretagne

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Abstract: Technological superiority is a key element to achieve defense effectiveness, and R&D spending is crucial to access leading-edge technologies. Nevertheless, the current defense R&D model seems to reach its limits, leading to an out-of-control burden: In spite of spending almost USD70 billion yearly, defense R&D in NATO countries does not produce the expected results. This low effectiveness leads to criticism about today's model of defense R&D, especially the channeling of credits by large incumbents through the Lead System Integrator model. Spurring disruptive technologies and path-breaking innovation requires an alternative approach. It is then interesting to analyze the possible use of venture-capital mechanisms to complement the mainstream approach to defense R&D. Even though the article does not develop a full analysis of the relationship between defense R&D and the principles of venture capital, it identifies criteria for such an alternative approach.

Keywords: Defense burden; defense technology; R&D; disruptive innovation; lead-system integrator; venture capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Published in The Economics of Peace and Security Journal, 2009, 4 (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01018527

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