Political Science Law
| Open Access |
DOI: Implementation Of Dual-Use Technologies in Defense and Public Security
Kristijan Ilovača , CEO of Sky Fort Systems d.o.o Croatia, Zagreb.Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms for introducing dual-use technologies into defense and public-security frameworks. The topic’s relevance stems from rapid advances in technical solutions that blur the traditional lines between civilian and military applications—creating new opportunities to boost efficiency across multiple sectors, while simultaneously posing significant risks of international destabilization and threats to national integrity. The study aims to survey contemporary models for integrating dual-use technologies, to identify regulatory, economic, and ethical constraints, and to pinpoint the most promising practices for strengthening defense capabilities and enhancing public protection in a holistic manner. Emphasis is placed on technological domains such as artificial intelligence, biological systems, cybersecurity, and autonomous unmanned platforms. Drawing on current research, the paper demonstrates how adaptive management strategies for dual-use technologies can deliver flexible responses to rapidly evolving challenges. Special attention is given to the need for robust interagency and transnational coalitions, as well as the creation of legal frameworks that simultaneously foster innovation. The findings will benefit defense-policy and security-management professionals, technology-transfer experts, and representatives of governmental bodies and high-tech firms seeking balanced solutions in an era of technological turbulence.
Keywords
dual-use technologies, defense, public security, innovation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, technology transfer, national security, risk management, export control
References
Dual-Use Technology and U.S. Export Controls. [2025 Apr. 20]. Available from https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/dual-use-technology-and-u-s-export-controls.
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. [2025 Apr. 22]. Available from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022DC0249 .
Rauch, M., & Ansari, S. (2022). Waging war from remote cubicles: How workers cope with technologies that disrupt the meaning and morality of their work. Organization Science, 33(1), 83–104. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2021.1555.
Reis, J., et al. (2022). Quintuple helix innovation model for the European Union defense industry—An empirical research. Sustainability, 14(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416499.
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. [2025 Apr. 23]. Available from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0070 .
Artificial Intelligence Market Size. [2025 May. 23]. Available from https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/artificial-intelligence-market-100114 .
The Drone and Model Aircraft Code. [2025 Apr. 20]. Available from https://www.caa.co.uk/media/5d1otmqu/the-drone-code-march-2024.pdf.
Sandhu, A., & Fussey, P. (2021). The ‘uberization of policing’? How police negotiate and operationalise predictive policing technology. Policing and Society, 31(1), 66–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2020.1803315.
Grimm, P. W., Grossman, M. R., & Cormack, G. V. (2021). Artificial intelligence as evidence. Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property, 19, 9.
Daud, S. M. S. M., et al. (2022). Applications of drone in disaster management: A scoping review. Science & Justice, 62(1), 30–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2021.11.002.
Kasikci, T., & Yetim, M. (2023). Disarmament. In The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Global Security Studies 299–302.
Bikkasani, D. C. (2024). Navigating artificial general intelligence (AGI): Societal implications, ethical considerations, and governance strategies. AI and Ethics, 1–16.
Responsible artificial intelligence research and innovation for international peace and security. [2025 Apr. 26]. Available from https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/sipri_report_responsible_artificial_intelligence_research_and_innovation_for_international_peace_and_security_2011.pdf.
Svoboda, O. (2022). Building Surveillance State in a Digital Age and what export control can (not) do about it? In YSEC Yearbook of Socio-Economic Constitutions 2021: Triangulating Freedom of Speech. 231–253.
Whang, C. (2021). Trade and emerging technologies: A comparative analysis of the United States and the European Union dual-use export control regulations. Security and Human Rights, 31(1–4), 11–34.
Memon, Q. A., Al Ahmad, M., & Pecht, M. (2024). Quantum computing: Navigating the future of computation, challenges, and technological breakthroughs. Quantum Reports, 6(4), 627–663. https://doi.org/10.3390/quantum6040039.
Cybersecurity and the New Era of Space Activities. [2025 Apr. 27]. Available from https://www.cfr.org/report/cybersecurity-and-new-era-space-activities.
Convention on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects. [2025 Apr. 29]. Available from https://docs-library.unoda.org/Convention_on_Certain_Conventional_Weapons_-Group_of_Governmental_Experts_on_Lethal_Autonomous_Weapons_Systems_(2023)/CCW_GGE1_2023_2_Advance_version.pdf .
Convention on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons which may be deemed to be excessively injurious or to have indiscriminate effects. [2025 Apr. 29]. Available from https://docs.un.org/en/CCW/GGE.1/2023/1.
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. (n.d.). FY2024 Budget Request Overview Book. [2025 Apr. 30]. Available from https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/Documents/defbudget/FY2024/FY2024_Budget_Request_Overview_Book.pdf .
Artificial Intelligence and National Security. [2025 Apr. 30]. Available from https://cset.georgetown.edu/publication/artificial-intelligence-and-national-security/.
Global Cybersecurity Index. [2025 May 1]. Available from https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Cybersecurity/Pages/global-cybersecurity-index.aspx.
ENISA Threat Landscape 2023. [2025 May 2]. Available from https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/enisa-threat-landscape-2023.
Adversarial machine learning attacks and defense methods in the cybersecurity domain. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 54(5), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1145/3453158.
Wassenaar Arrangement Secretariat. (2021). [2025 May 1]. Available from https://www.wassenaar.org/app/uploads/2021/12/Public-Docs-Vol-I-Founding-Documents.pdf.
Global guidance framework for the responsible use of the life sciences: Mitigating biorisks and governing dual-use research. [2025 May 5]. Available from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240056107.
Xue, Y., Yu, H., & Qin, G. (2021). Towards good governance on dual-use biotechnology for global sustainable development. Sustainability, 13(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/su132414056.
EDA Annual Report 2024. [2025 Apr. 27]. Available from https://eda.europa.eu/docs/default-source/brochures/eda---annual-report-2024---webdfcdc23fa4d264cfa776ff000087ef0f.pdf.
ICRC position on autonomous weapon systems. [2025 May 15]. Available from https://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-position-autonomous-weapon-systems.
Commercial Drone Market by Point Of Sale (OEM, Aftermarket). [2025 May. 23]. Available from https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/commercial-drone-market-66171414.html.
Article Statistics
Downloads
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2025 Kristijan Ilovača
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.