情报·风投资本家·创新企业主——美国中央情报局技术获取机制“英克特尔模式”探析

Intelligence,Venture Capitalists,and Entrepreneurs:An Exploration on the CIA's“In-Q-Tel Model”for Technology Acquisition

“英克特尔模式”是美国中央情报局于1999年创设的技术获取机制。中情局创设“英克特尔模式”的主要原因在于,信息技术的迅猛发展促使中情局领导层决定建立新的面向市场的技术获取机制,以满足信息时代情报活动的技术需求;信息技术的市场特征促使中情局有必要以风险投资的方式获取初创企业信息,影响其决策和生产、经营;受制于反国家主义政治文化传统,中情局选择通过国家情报体制外的风险投资公司,获取初创企业信息,影响其决策和生产、经营。在实际运行中,中情局将其技术需求通过联系中心,以“问题清单”的形式传达至英克特尔公司,该公司通过风险投资活动,掌握初创企业信息,对其决策和生产、经营施加影响,从而帮助中情局获取符合其需要的技术。英克特尔公司的“公”“私”混合特征使“英克特尔模式”在实际运行中成功回避反国家主义者锋芒。

“In-Q-Tel Model”is a technology acquisition mechanism created by the CIA in 1999.It is puzzling why the CIA has addressed its technology acquisition by means of a venture capital corporation situated outside the national intelligence system and how the model has been operating in practice since its inception.The CIA leadership s decision to create the“In-Q-Tel Model”has been facilitated by several factors:the IT revolution has propelled the CIA decision-makers to adopt a market-oriented technology acquisition mechanism in order to meet the CIA's technology needs in the information era;the characteristics of the information technology market impel the CIA leadership to use venture capital investments to get information about and influence over entrepreneurs so that the CIA could acquire the emerging technologies or technology products from the start-ups as soon as possible;the deep-rooted anti-statist political cultural tradition has forced the CIA to learn about and influence the start-ups indirectly through a venture capital corporation outside the CIA.In the practical operations of the“In-Q-Tel Model”,the In-Q-Tel Interface Center has sent the CIA's technology needs in the form of“Problem Set”to In-Q-Tel and the latter would carry out venture capital investments according to the CIA's need.In-Q-Tel would get information about the entrepreneurs and gain influence over the start-ups by normal investment feasibility analyses and equity investments,and help the CIA acquire the technology it desires.The hybrid organization characteristics of In-Q-Tel are the key for the“In-Q-Tel Model”to be immune from attacks by anti-statists.