There are no "good" or "bad" technologies. The difference between the former and the latter depends on their application. This can be seen in the context of the so-called "dual-use-technologies" which may be applied both for military and civilian purposes. Dual-use technologies relate to the assumption that, for some military technologies, important spin-offs to civilian uses do exist. Such technologies are most likely to be "converted" if useful and commercial applications can be found. The exact potential of dual-use technologies currently applied by the military needs to be explored.
The notion of using technologies developed by military R and D to, for example, finding clean and efficient energy production, ways and means to combat desertification, has identified some areas for applying existing military technologies in cleaning up ecological damage. The spectrum of technologies to be explored for their conversion potential includes, for example, information technology, materials, biotechnology and energy. The spectrum of alternative applications ranges from environmental monitoring to cleaning up toxic waste.
The full potential of dual-use technology is currently not used and should be given sufficient consideration. Selected areas of dual-use technology and production processes include: Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, sintering and bonding; Power engineering, electrical engineering, power plant engineering, electrical machine engineering, electric welding; Atomic power, atomic energy, nuclear safety, nuclear materials; Coal, gas and petroleum engineering; Ship building, ship and boat maintenance and retrofitting; Heavy and transport engineering, railway and marine transport; Chemistry, petrochemistry, chemical machine building; Light industry machine building; Food, conservation and packaging; Special textiles, garment, footwear including manufacturing of exercise and sport goods; Agriculture, aquaculture, undersea and sea-bottom engineering (and sciences); Aircraft; Telecommunications, radio, television; Instruments and tool-making design and engineering; Optical instrument making, electro-optics engineering; New materials; Space technology, satellites, related training; Engineering potential for alternative product designs in presently unutilized market niches.