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Imagine drones that map disaster zones and scout military targets, or seismic sensors built for construction that detect submarines. These ideas represent dual-use technologies that serve both civilian and military purposes. For the first time, the European Commission is explicitly proposing to fund them through programs like Horizon Europe. But as we embrace dual-use technologies, we face a pivotal choice: continue the old model where military applications drive innovation, or turn this paradigm on its head?
Technological innovation has long followed a familiar path: the military drives development, with civilian applications emerging later. Consider GPS, one of the most successful dual-use technologies. Originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense in the 1970s for military positioning and navigation, it was limited to civilians by “Selective Availability,” which degraded accuracy to preserve military advantage.
The full potential of GPS remained untapped until Selective Availability was deactivated in 2000, making it ten times more accurate for civilian use. This led to innovations that transformed industries from agriculture to transportation. A 2019 study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) estimated that GPS had generated $1.4 trillion in economic benefits.
This military-first approach has dominated innovation funding for decades, yet there is compelling evidence that civilian-first approaches better serve society’s needs and produce more robust solutions for all applications, including military ones.
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The traditional model overlooks a critical reality: civilian markets provide scale and diversity of applications that drive innovation. This pattern repeats across technological domains. Internet protocols developed for military communications found their greatest evolution in civilian applications before returning to enhance military systems. The commercial drone industry has accelerated aerial innovation far beyond what military procurement alone could achieve.
By focusing on civilian-first use cases, innovation can leverage larger markets, more diverse applications, and faster development cycles. Technologies developed with broad civilian applications benefit from economies of scale that military-only development cannot match. This is partly because civilian innovation faces fewer bureaucratic constraints. Military procurement cycles span years or decades, while civilian markets reward agility and rapid iteration.
The most promising dual-use breakthroughs come from tackling fundamental technical challenges rather than specific operational functions. When innovators focus narrowly on military operations, they often miss the broader potential of their technologies. Scientific potential isn’t abstract; it only becomes real through implementation.
For example, developing robust navigation systems without GPS is crucial. A solution enabling delivery drones to navigate urban environments reliably could revolutionize logistics while providing capabilities critical for defense. By emphasizing civilian applications while acknowledging military uses, we create space for innovations that might otherwise never emerge.
Research from the European Commission on introducing a military tech aspect to Horizon Europe’s successor found that academic and research institutions prefer to stick to civilian technologies. By providing funding pathways that respect these preferences, we expand the talent pool, addressing critical technological challenges. Given the financial strains and political pressures in U.S. higher education, Europe could attract top innovators from across the Atlantic by creating an environment aligned with their core values.
As Europe intensifies its focus on strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty, dual-use technologies will play an increasingly important role. The EU’s recent moves to allow dual-use funding through programs like Horizon Europe represent a significant shift in how we approach innovation. But as these initiatives take shape, they must avoid simply replicating the traditional military-first model.
By prioritizing civilian use cases while acknowledging military applications, we can leverage market forces, attract diverse talent, and produce more robust technologies for all purposes. Yet for dual-use development to be truly durable, civilian and military technologies must no longer be siloed—bridging the gap between civilian R&D and military use cases is essential.
Given the chasm between these sectors’ operations, this will require active collaboration. Initiating more open knowledge exchange would better apply insights from both worlds. For bodies focused on military technology, it’s time to incubate a civilian equivalent. Conversely, organizations like SPRIND—the German federal agency for disruptive innovation—should explore military applications.
The challenges we face—climate change, energy security, supply chain resilience—require technological solutions that serve multiple purposes. The old dichotomy between civilian and military innovation is increasingly outdated in a world where the most powerful technologies inevitably serve both domains. The transformative dual-use technologies of tomorrow are closer than we think—if we focus on civilian use cases today.
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What is the European Commission proposing to fund through programs like Horizon Europe?
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