Developing a Model of National Security Innovation: Systems, Enablers, and Types

Abstract

This paper presents a proposed taxonomy of innovation terms that can be arranged into a larger explanatory model of defense innovation. After outlining the case for a capabilities-based definition of the term innovation, the concept of innovation systems (international, domestic, commercial, military/governmental, and civil-military integrated) is introduced. Innovation enablers are then described as the means or factors to produce capabilities-based innovation. These include diffusion, invention, culture and politics, the industrial base, the workforce, the legal and regulatory environment, finance, leadership, and time. Next, innovation types or strategies are introduced to describe the incentive structures that can be deployed within each innovation system. These types include stasis, minimally reactive sustaining, incremental proactive sustaining, reactive and proactive time-based, revolutionary step change, and disruptive. DOD since World War II has employed each of these innovation types in defense acquisition. Disruptive, revolutionary, and time-based innovation primarily occurred in the early Cold War period until it was primarily replaced in the 1960s by an incremental proactive sustaining model. This model has dominated U.S. acquisition ever since. To compete in any new Great Power competition, defense innovation approaches will need to become more time based and disruptive and more integrated with the commercial innovation system.