Trend Science and technology policy is being securitized amid geopolitical conflict and technology rivalry

Summary

The plan argues that science, technology and innovation policy is being pulled into the domain of national security as geopolitical conflict and technology rivalry intensify. Science and technology, which once stood for interdependence and cooperation among countries, now sits at the centre of interstate competition. Policy tools are said to have widened from promotion alone to the protection of technology and to alliance building, a combination described as the 3Ps. The OECD has proposed adding principles on proportionality between promotion and protection, partnership among stakeholders and precise risk assessment. In this setting, major countries are intervening at the national level with capital, talent and institutional tools, not only R&D budgets, to secure advanced technologies.