Understanding China s Efforts to Becoming a Global Defense Science, Technology, and Innovation Leader: Research Area 8.5 Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Abstract
ChinaÕs accelerating rise as a highly capable defense science, technology, and innovation power has profound national security implications for the United States and the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. The outside world, however, has limited understanding of how this is taking place. Building upon an existing Minerva project examining the relationship between security and technology in China, this new three-year project seeks to both deepen and broaden our understanding of the nature, dynamics, and trajectory of this progress through a careful assessment of the structures, processes, and drivers, especially within the Chinese national and defense science, technology, and innovation systems. There are three key components of this project, with different objectives and methodological approaches: 1. ChinaÕs Defense Research, Development, and Acquisition (RDA) System: The first component examines how ChinaÕs defense establishment goes about conceiving, developing, producing, and procuring weapons systems, using an analytical framework that incorporates the different stages of the RDA process along with concepts from the field of innovation studies such as industrial innovation and national innovation systems. The project looks at the complex ecosystem of organizations and rules that are responsible for the conceptualization, design, engineering, testing, production, acquisition, and operation of weapons systems. This framework will be applied to several case studies. 2. Annual Review of ChinaÕs Defense Industrial Base: The second component provides a yearly review of the expansive Chinese defense industrial base, which offers a longitudinal perspective of the trends taking place in its grand transformation from imitator to innovator. Key areas of focus include the role of major actors (corporations, government and military agencies, research organizations), inputs (funding, technology transfers), processes (governance, decision-making, management of projects), and outputs (technologies). Research will also focus on assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the defense industrial base at a systems level. The main analytical approach is the use of case studies that combine detailed descriptions offering rich empirical evidence and the use of an innovation capabilities framework that identifies and sorts key drivers of change and innovation into hard (tangible input factors) and soft (intangible, process-related factors) innovation categories. 3. Applying Lessons Learned from China to Understand How Other Countries Become Military Technological and Industrial Powers: Based upon findings from the study of China, the third component develops a generalizable framework that offers indicators and explanations as to why, how, and when other countries, especially those catching up, decide to develop indigenous or joint defense technological and industrial capabilities. Key factors include 1) top-level leadership support; 2) threat environment; 3) availability of high-quality scientific and technological talent; and 4) access to external technology and knowledge transfers. Case studies will be conducted on Russia, Israel, and India.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 04, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1510407
Entities
People
- Tai Ming Cheung
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of California, San Diego