Access to international capabilities in basic research offers a potential vehicle for both near– and long–term return on investment. Within the overall Army S&T strategy, one key objective is to emphasize high leverage opportunities, fostering partnerships where we anticipate the best prospects for sustained excellence in technology development. This includes cooperation with both foreign government and industries, in order to access niches of technical excellence that can best be coupled to existing and future Army technology goals. The following pages provide a snapshot of international basic research capabilities and trends having potential to address one or more of the long–term research goals identified in Volume I, Chapter V of the ASTMP. Many of these areas overlap opportunities highlighted in the previous section, and indicate prospects for long–term partnerships and further cooperative advances. Others indicate areas where future opportunities may develop, either under an existing exchange or a new initiative.

The following discussion and trends charts portray very clearly the international scope of S&T. As might be expected, opportunities for cooperation in basic research are far more pervasive and widely dispersed than those for applied research in technology discussed in the previous section. Increased global accessibility of scientific information is such that no researcher is out of touch with his or her field. Collaborative research across international boundaries is commonplace.

Taken as a whole, the trends charts indicate a high and growing level of scientific research capabilities abroad in virtually every aspect identified as of importance to the U.S. Army. This suggests the importance of an international cooperative strategy that can effectively encompass both immediate opportunities and long–range cooperative partnerships.

The POC for requests for further information regarding international cooperative opportunities described in this section is:

These offices are tasked with keeping abreast with important developments in S&T in their respective areas.