What is military innovation? How should we think about Chinese military innovation? By developing an analytical framework that captures both the components of military innovation (technology, doctrine, and organization) and the continuum of change, we can better assess the nature, extent, and importance of contemporary Chinese military innovation.

The central focus in this brief is to make sense of different approaches to defense innovation by determining whether there are general patterns and characteristics that offer insights into questions such as why some states are able to pursue innovation at a faster rate or more advanced level than others, and the essential ingredients for successful innovation. This brief seeks to develop an understanding of the relationship between defense innovation and military innovation, and more specifically the linkages and interaction between the defense innovation system and the military establishment.

This policy brief puts forward an analytical framework to capture the nature, dimensions, and spectrum of innovation in the military and broader defense spheres. Insights are drawn from a range of disciplines, including history, social science, business, and strategic studies. The analytical framework is composed of six lenses through which to view the inputs, process, and output of innovation: 1) the components of innovation: technology, doctrine, and organization; 2) the capacity to innovate: that is, innovation potential; 3) the process of innovation: speculation, experimentation, and implementation; 4) the degree of innovation: from duplicative imitation to radical innovation; 5) the scope of innovation; and 6) systems of innovation.