Defense Innovation, Technology Transfers and Public Policy

The role of defense in national innovation systems is a highly topical, because of the complexity of defense systems and the desire to get value-for-money from R&D investment, especially through the commercialization of defense-funded technology. In practice, external transfer has proved to be a difficult, labor-intensive process, which requires a strong commitment from both parties. Here, intellectual property rights (IPR) appear as a strong incentive for collaboration. Analyzing the lack of IPR culture in defense industries elucidates the difficulties and failures in spin-off attempts. We finally propose strategies leading to a market for defense-born technology.