Believe the hype – even if you shouldn’t believe all the research. China is a global top dog in tech, leading in 37 of 44 technology segments – at least according to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (Aspi). But China is not quite as dominant as that statistic suggests. Aspi bases its findings on the number of research papers published, which includes quasi-propaganda released purely to gain government incentives. Yet even accounting for rogue papers, China is undoubtedly up there with the US. It might even be ahead…
In a recent paper, professors Leonard Lynn of Case Western Reserve University and Hal Salzman of Rutgers University propose the development of new Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Global Commons. By enhancing open access to global talent and following the democratic governance principles pioneered by Cern, new international collaborations on technology are possible. The potential rewards from a new Nato for tech are boundless. A partnership between the US and India is realistic. If the world can resist the false allure of techno-nationalism, early successes on the global challenges of climate change, cancer, cybersecurity and poverty could heave into view.
