69Received 18.04.2025. Revised 01.06.2025. Accepted 26.06.2025.
Abstract. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the evolving practices of collaboration between U.S. government agencies and private high-tech companies in the context of national security. It highlights the increasing institutionalization and strategic significance of public-private partnerships as a response to both accelerating technological change and intensifying great-power competition. The study focuses on key organizational actors such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and the Central Intelligence Agency’s venture capital fund In-Q-Tel. It explores the various mechanisms through which the U.S. Department of Defense and other national security institutions engage with commercial enterprises – from traditional procurement contracts and research grants to fast-track innovation programs and dual-use venture capital initiatives. Special attention is given to how commercial innovation is integrated into defense-related technological development in critical domains such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, microelectronics, and space technologies. The article underscores the role of both major technology corporations and small startups in advancing military capabilities and shaping the broader defense innovation ecosystem. Beyond institutional design and policy instruments, the article addresses significant challenges arising from this collaboration. These include issues of regulatory complexity, ownership and commercialization of intellectual property, ethical concerns associated with military applications of emerging technologies, as well as tensions stemming from differing organizational cultures, values, and operational timelines between government bodies and private firms. Furthermore, the paper reflects on the geopolitical ramifications of deeper public-private integration, particularly with respect to U.S. – China strategic rivalry and its impact on technology governance and investment flows.
Keywords: public-private partnership, national security, innovation, high technology, U.S. Department of Defense, DARPA, In-Q-Tel, DIU, artificial intelligence, strategic competition
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