The paper finds that the application of comprehensive security and broad-based defence thinking leads to a high
degree of overlap in the interests of defence, security and safety organisations. These interests can be translated into many similar needs in terms of new knowledge, technology and innovation. The inter-agency approach to addressing those needs helps to achieve greater synergy in results and to use limited resources in a more rational way, but the approach has not gained much recognition in Estonia just yet. The paper recommends a number of measures to facilitate better co-operation between Estonia’s defence, security and safety agencies (end-users) in exploiting the national and international science and technology base. The measures include: the drafting of a common new knowledge, technology and innovation agenda for the entire sector; partial integration of its implementation in the field of situational awareness and information management technologies (including cyber security) through a dedicated national research and development (R&D) programme; the formulation of common requirements by defence, security and safety organisations for some existing national programmes (e.g. health); collaboration (e.g.in research on human and organisational factors, in the field of modelling and simulation technological know-how, in the development of inter-agency planning methodologies) between defence and security educational and training establishments; constant co-ordination of R&T efforts in such fields as Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRN-E) defence, unmanned systems and platforms, space technology and physical protection of personnel and infrastructure; and the maintenance of a broad awareness of R&T needs, opportunities and activities by governmental, public and private stakeholders.