Providing a pattern for prioritizing defense technologies

Limited resources and the existence of numerous innovation opportunities have revealed the need to pay more attention to intelligent prioritization in the field of science, technology and innovation. Based on this, in this research, a mechanism for prioritizing defense technologies has been provided.

In this research, the methodology of design science was used, which focuses on solving specific problems by designing and making new artifacts. This method has 3 main stages including awareness, development and summation and each stage has four sub-stages. In this research, in-depth interview tool was used. 24 experts were selected as the statistical population by snowball method. To analyze the research data, general methods based on theme analysis and a combination of inductive and theory-based approaches were used to identify and categorize themes and semantic patterns (themes) in the data.

The proposed model for prioritizing defense technologies included the following eight steps; Extraction of basic cross-sector - upstream - national and international strategic values, identification of technologies and continuous estimation of the probability of their use and dimensions of use in the military field, explanation of the current and future consequences and results of the development of each of the technologies, the affected areas and the beneficiaries of each of the technologies, determining the weights Each of the criteria of capability, attractiveness and compatibility and reflection in the three-dimensional matrix and choosing the best portfolio of technology development projects, finalizing the portfolio of projects, continuous monitoring and evaluation of technological priorities.

In the issue of prioritizing potential or actual defense technologies, it is necessary to consider the expectations of stakeholders or economic, political, social and cultural sectors. Also, as a policy recommendation, the need to focus as much as possible on dual-purpose technologies and the connection of defense and non-defense industries was emphasized.