Future of Technology Cooperation Workshop

At approximately $13 billion a year, the American defense S&T program is the largest in the world and now exceeds the total defense budget of all but ten nations worldwide. It is the wellspring of the Nation’s unprecedented technical superiority.The extensive programs supported by this budget generate the technology base from which the United States develops, acquires, and maintains a vast array of worldwide capabilities.

Although at lower, but still significant levels, the activities of the global defense S&T community also enhance military capabilities of existing and potential partners and allies. Not only are the enhanced capabilities of these nations of significant value to the United States in potential coalition operations but, through information sharing and other activities, but the scientific and technical results that have produced these capabilities can directly benefit to the United States in its own science and technology program.

As can be seen from the recently released “International Science and Technology Strategy for the United States Department of Defense,” (2005) the network for worldwide sharing of defense S&T information is vast, and the new strategy provides an excellent framework to maximize this potential.*

This workshop seeks to explore developments since this strategy was released and upcoming international initiatives.

* Donald C. Daniel and Cheryl A. Loeb (2006)