01116nas a2200121   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260001800043100001600061245002500077300001000102520088200112       2016                            d  bProconaSofia1 aAdam Dolnik00aTerrorist Innovation  a49-663 aInnovation is defined here as “the introduction of a new method or technology, or the improvement of an already existing capability.” Generally speaking, terrorist innovation falls into the realm of emulation and adaptation, since the technologies used by terrorists are never completely new. Terrorists have effectively engaged in ‘evolutionary innovation’ (i.e. incremental) as opposed to ‘revolutionary’ (i.e. radical) innovation.
This chapter begins with some observations about the general trends in tactical and technological innovation in terrorist campaigns, followed by a discussion of the reasons why different terrorist organizations display varying levels of innovation. In particular, four key scenarios which may act as triggers for terrorist innovation are identified, and these are then considered using the ‘Islamic State’ (IS) as a case study.