The Nature of the Defense Innovation Problem
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DoD) asked that we assess its innovation problem. This effort was spurred by the Departments continued struggle to engage the innovation ecosystem effectively to support improved acquisition, capabilities, and military outcomes. We considered the existing approaches that are heavily focused on process solutions and the standing up of new offices. It was clear that the challenge remains. Asa result, we took a step back to clearly define the problem, its causes and challenges, and potential remedies rather than risk blindly identifying and chasing rapid or simple solutions that may not resolve the fundamental issues with obtaining and fielding the right innovative defense capabilities. As such, this report is an effort to look at the challenge from first principles and truly understand the nature of the defense innovation problem. The innovation needed today takes place amid a dramatically changed technology landscape. When our technology organizations and acquisition structures were created decades ago, the U.S. DoD exerted an outsized impact both domestically and globally on the development of technology and, as such, were a major determinant of the pace of technological change. Today, the technological landscape is largely commercial, dispersed, proliferated, and beyond any governments control. The annual research and development (R and D) investment globally in 2019 was an estimated $2.4 trillion, with over 70% of that coming from outside the United States and almost half from outside of both the United States and China (Sargent, 2021). Moreover, the pace of change is being driven globally by a dispersed network of public and private actors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1176719
Entities
People
- Jose Sanchez
- Melissa Flagg
- Molly Nadolski
- Philip S. Anton
- Tom Mcdermott
Organizations
- Stevens Institute of Technology