During most of the 20th century, the defense sector was the undeniable leader of technological innovation, with technology developed in defense labs often trickling into the civilian world. In the 1990s, however, due to a dramatic decrease in defense budgets and the streaming of funds to commercial applications led by startup companies and internet giants, the flow of innovation reversed direction. The defense sector has accordingly adopted an “Open Innovation” approach to exploit new technologies developed by the civilian sector.