Daniel Bob
Leadership in critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, robotics, advanced materials, biotechnology, and aerospace will determine who leads the world economically and strategically in the decades ahead. These technologies spur productivity gains, provide supply chain resilience, and shape military strength that sustain national security and prosperity.
At the moment, however, the United States is no longer ahead in many of these fields. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute reports that China now leads in 57 of 64 critical technologies. Studies by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation and others have found China advancing in robotics, batteries, quantum communication, and advanced materials. These gains are not accidental. They reflect Beijing’s deliberate effort to integrate research, manufacturing, and state financing into a single system that can move from idea to global scale faster than market-driven rivals.
In addition to innovation from entrepreneurs and start-ups, one of the defining features of America’s past success has been the rise of vertically integrated companies that design, build, and distribute under one roof. From the early days of computing to today’s clean energy, aerospace, and healthcare industries, these companies have provided the scale, speed, and reliability that have helped give the United States its global competitive edge.
Unlike China’s state-directed approach, America’s integrated companies compete, collaborate, and innovate in open markets. They link invention to production and connect the nation’s research universities, engineering talent, and industrial capacity, thereby enhancing America’s global competitiveness.
They also expand opportunity at home. Their national scale and infrastructure lower costs and broaden access for consumers, reaching underserved and remote communities with essential goods and services such as prescription drugs, broadband internet, and clean energy. Their wide distribution networks and operational reach drive consistency and reliability, ensuring that critical products remain available even in times of crisis or disruption.
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