The triple helix approach in the defence industry: a case study at the Brazilian Army

As in many other industries, technological innovation plays an important role in the economic development of the defence industry. In recent years, the Brazilian Army has adopted the triple helix model and open innovation as cooperation models in research in order to generate innovation, involving the army research efforts, the defence industry and academia. Inspired on a Swedish model, one of the most recent army's initiatives to stimulate innovation was the creation of an open innovation arena in order to encourage joint open innovation projects in the area of intelligent energy conversion devices and energy storage, involving academia and industry actors. In this article, the concept of this pilot initiative and its first results are described. With the Arenas the army intends to induce the creation of a sustainable defence industry with companies based on dual use technologies in order to achieve strategic and economic goals.