Defense Innovation & Transformation - Call for Papers

Implementing learning and research processes in organizational defense culture in Israel and abroad

The existential reality militaries around the world contend with, particularly the Israeli Defense Forces, constantly change. Shifts occur in a variety of dimensions, among which is the  environment, technology, opponent, or even the organization itself.. Some changes compel defense systems to respond and proactively kickstart processes designed to give them greater flexibility, or well-thought out transformation processes based on a paradigmatic prediction of opponent transformation. Military organizations may respond to these changes by transforming doctrine, concepts of operation, training, force design, technology, weapons systems, the scale of the organization, or its organizational structure.

To hone that response, the IDF and other militaries must develop and strengthen two key “muscles”. The first is the ability to effectively and thoroughly study the world of innovation and its manifestation in the military and other security forces; the second is the ability to convey knowledge, in the form of well-established and institutionalized training and certification, as a natural part of the development process of those units’ command cadre (alongside maintaining competence). These two muscles are vital if these innovation efforts are to be relevant, methodical, and effective. Consequently, the IDF  recently established a unique institution meant to research military and security domains in Israel and abroad, the Defense College for Innovation, Intrapreneurship and Transformation. It is expected to produce insights and feedback on managing innovation systems within militaries and defense establishments and inform the processes, tools, and infrastructure used in training dedicated command cadres. The institute serves as an intellectual “compass” for innovation and innovation strategies that need to be consistently informed and continually enhanced. Due to its pioneering research, the institute supports the active implementation of transformation mechanisms.

Defense Transformation: The Pen and the Sword

The Innovation and Corporate Defense Transformation Research Institute invites researchers and commanders to submit articles for publication in an upcoming volume of the professional Journal of Defense Innovation Systems. The Journal is led by the Innovation and Corporate-Defense Transformation Research Institute, Under the auspices of the Defense College for Innovation, Intrapreneurship and Transformation.

Selected participants will be given the opportunity to present their work during an upcoming innovation symposium. Articles may be submitted in one of these formats:

• Professional or semi-academic article (comprised of an introduction, background, literature review, main thesis, applicability based on a case-study, recommendations and summary). Length: 3,000-5,000 words
• -Case study analysis (Harvard Business School Style). The format may be downloaded, at a fee, through this link. Length: 2,000-4,000 words
• -Senior leader manifesto (regular or reserve officers with the rank of brigadier general and above). Length: up to 500 words
• -Position paper up to 1,000 words

Possible topics: Battlefield and operational innovation, terrorism counter-terrorism and home land security innovation, innovation metrics, innovation system management, innovation culture, leadership and change agents, innovation standards and practices, innovative activity portfolio (unconferences, hackathons, accelerators, incubators, investment funds), innovation strategy, innovation mechanisms in the organization, innovation and futurism, applied innovation (products, marketing, processes and organizations), hands on experience, and more. Authors may be of any rank or academic background, serving in any role, and topics can be borrowed from any academic discipline (sociology, psychology, system engineering, mechanical engineering, business administration, management and industry, etc.) or discuss applied practices on innovation and military-corporate transformation

Submit Your Papers - Due Date 1 Sep 2022

Click Here to Submit Your Paper, or Click Here to Contact the Editor