Keeping A Cold War Chilled: Mobilizing the Modern Defense Industrial Base

A recent AI analysis conducted by a team of Hoover fellows finds the US at greater risk of great-power hostilities with China than in recent decades, thus necessitating that America to step up its deterrence capabilities. That includes the interaction between the Pentagon and venture capitalists who finance defense-related start-ups and ventures, the topic of a Hoover Institution briefing entitled Mobilize the Modern Defense Industrial Base. Co-authored by Hoover distinguished research fellow Dan Berkenstock, the briefing concludes that the US government needs to learn how to “talk the language of capital markets” and better connect America’s venture-backed industrial concerns with broader US goals in hopes of avoiding a hot war with devastating consequences at home and abroad. Also discussed: Berkenstock’s background in space-imaging, the “1491 moment in outer space featuring a new race to the moon by the decade’s end, and the significance of China’s “SpaceSail” satellite-constellation alternative to Starlink.

RELATED SOURCES

Cast

Bill Whalen

Bill Whalen

Dan Berkenstock

Dan Berkenstock

Related

Videos

Cryptography and the Future of Digital Trust

 

Cryptography secures nearly every bit of our daily digital interactions, from messaging to banking and cryptocurrencies. Yet rapid advances in quantum computing could threaten existing encryption, while the growing use of blockchain raises new questions about privacy, the risks of illicit finance, government oversight, and the future of digital trust.

September 9, 2026

Videos

Introducing the Stanford Emerging Technology Review, featuring Condoleezza Rice and Jennifer Widom

 

The Hoover Institution and Stanford University School of Engineering announced an innovative project and publication dedicated to exploring the breakthroughs and policy implications of cutting-edge technologies that are shaping our societies and economies.

December 7, 2023

Event

Technology Policy Accelerator Launch Highlights | Hoover Institution

A bold new initiative to help the US government and business leaders navigate the rapidly evolving emerging tech landscape.

November 4, 2026