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A nanotechnology roadmapping study for the Turkish defense industry

Ayhan Aydogdu (Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, Ankara, Turkey)
Serhat Burmaoglu (Defense Sciences Institute, Ankara, Turkey)
Ozcan Saritas (National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation)
Serhat Cakir (Department of Physics, Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey)

Foresight

ISSN: 1463-6689

Article publication date: 14 August 2017

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Abstract

Purpose

Technologies are constantly developed to address new demands and provide further opportunities. Owing to a number of potential application areas of nanotechnologies within this sector, the purpose of this study is to take defense as a case and propose a strategic roadmap for the use of nanotechnologies in the Turkish Defense Industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The study presented in this paper uses a bibliometric analysis of the most cited publications in the past decade with the aim of identifying the trends in the development of nanotechnology. Interviews were carried out with experts based on the featured words of bibliometric analysis (nanoparticles, nanostructure, self-assembly, drug delivery, graphene, etc.) to reveal the commercialization time of nanotechnology products and applications. After that, a survey was carried out with engineers for determining the possible emergence time of nanotechnology applications and/or products used in military up to year 2035. Finally, a roadmap was created based on the obtained data from bibliometric analysis, interviews and survey results.

Findings

Nanotechnology roadmap was prepared, one which would contribute to the preparation of the defense industry for the future and help in keeping up with technological developments.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Interviews and surveys have limitation with the bounded rationality of corresponders.

Practical implications

The paper proposed a nanotechnology roadmap for the defense sector with a data-led foresight practice.

Originality/value

Performing such a study is considered to be crucial for the armies of developed and developing countries, so that the military sector also avails benefits from this revolutionary technology. Quantitative and qualitative methods were mixed for developing the roadmap.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Contributions in this publication by Professor Ozcan Saritas were supported within the framework of the Basic Research Program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) and were funded within the framework of the subsidy granted to the HSE by the Government of the Russian Federation for the implementation of the Global Competitiveness Program.

Citation

Aydogdu, A., Burmaoglu, S., Saritas, O. and Cakir, S. (2017), "A nanotechnology roadmapping study for the Turkish defense industry", Foresight, Vol. 19 No. 4, pp. 354-375. https://doi.org/10.1108/FS-06-2017-0020

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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