Critical success factors of government-led international technological cooperation for national defense core-technology R&D projects

In the defense core technology field, it is important to secure core technologies at a pace that is in line with the pace of technological development, which has become more advanced over time. However, the pace of technological advancement is faster than ever, and the need for weapons systems with new technologies is increasing. Nevertheless, it can be said that independently securing core technologies in all fields is almost impossible, considering the required costs and duration. International technology cooperation can overcome these cost and period constraints, and strengthen relations between countries. International technology cooperation in the field of defense core technology has began to overcome difficulties in independent development; however, the sharing and joint development of key defense-related technologies among countries has encountered various difficulties. Therefore, in this study, the factors affecting the performance (quantitative and qualitative) of core technology R&D projects in the defense sector were divided into individual competencies (professional skills, communication skills, leadership, and foreign language skills) and external factors (legal system, interrelationship, cost reduction, and period reduction), and research models and hypotheses were established. This hypothesis was verified through a survey and a multiple regression analysis. The analysis revealed that the derived influencing factors had a positive (+) effect on project performance, confirming that both individual competency and external factors are important in project performance.