ABSTRACT
The main characteristic of Spain's defence technology policy is the absence of an explicit formulation of strategies beyond the statement of the most general policy goals. This is accompanied by a scarcity of discussion and debate within industry, government, and the wider public on any issue related to dual-use technologies, conversion, diversification and the relationship between civilian and military technologies. The growth of the Ministry of Defence's Research and Development (R&D) investment in the fledgling Spanish space sector implies a move towards an area where technological developments have an obvious 'dual use'. The Ministry of Defence's technology policy pays special attention to those technologies that can have a dual use, military and civilian, as the best way to take advantage of the R&D resources, thus backing the Spanish industry confronting free competition in the coming years. The activity of Spanish companies is taking place against the background of a decreasing procurement budget.
