The policy paper explores the rationale for investing in the so-called dual-use research and technology (R&T) to support Estonia’s national defence, civil security and public safety policy objectives.
The policy paper explores the rationale for investing in the so-called dual-use research and technology (R&T) to support Estonia’s national defence, civil security and public safety policy objectives.
Co-author: Mikk Lellsaar (MoD)
In addition, it investigates which areas of knowledge and technology generally have the greatest potential for an inter-agency approach and which of those areas are most relevant to Estonia’s defence, security and safety organisations. It also considers a variety of business models for pursuing the inter-agency approach to R&T and its application in Estonia. The paper finds that the application of comprehensive security and broad-based defence thinking leads to a high degree of overlap in the interests of defence, security and safety organisations. These interests can be translated into many similar needs in terms of new knowledge, technology and innovation. The inter-agency approach to addressing those needs helps to achieve greater synergy in results and to use limited resources in a more rational way, but the approach has not gained much recognition in Estonia just yet. The paper recommends a number of measures to facilitate better co-operation between Estonia’s defence, security and safety agencies (end-users) in exploiting the national and international science and technology base.