Defense innovation, technology transfers and public policy

The role of defense in national innovation systems is 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.