Trend Story 1: technology companies and their owners contest the primacy of states

Summary

The first of the report's six stories of change holds that technology companies and their leaders are challenging the primacy of states as geopolitical actors. Large firms with global operations spanning technologies, consumer products, services, data and digital infrastructure represent a new kind of international actor. They and their billionaire chief executives now act in arenas once reserved for states, such as outer space. The report traces their rising influence to control over critical infrastructure and systems that economic and strategic power depend on. Unlike traditional defence contractors, these firms rely less on government contracts and may not put state concerns first. Questions about how to hold them accountable and fit them into global governance remain open.