The Dual Impact of Geopolitical Conflicts on Defense Technology Innovation

History shows that geopolitical risks, armed conflicts, and wars were common catalysts to the emergence of new defense technology innovations. While there is some common belief which is enough for deduction that conflicts restrict technological advance in the conflicting countries, recent works, such as José M. Ortiz-Villajos & José J. Martos-Gómez. (2023): Technological Emergence and Military Technology Innovation; prove the opposite. Indeed, this interaction shows how, while some regions face stagnation in innovation because of conflict, other regions can get benefits from such a situation, pushing for innovation and exports. Such a broad analysis will observe how current conflicts in Azerbaijan and Ukraine reflect this dual influence, orienting towards the principal actors: Turkey, Israel, Europe, and the United States.

Negative Impacts on Innovation in Conflict Zones

Resource Diversion and Economic Strain

In countries that find themselves in a state of conflict, financing is usually channeled to current needs for military solutions, not into long-term R&D. Like Azerbaijan did during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it invested in military procurement as opposed to civilian technology development. Indeed…