New strategic technical alliances: Can these global initiatives overcome politics?

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• April 23, 2023

Strategic autonomy is all about operational control, knowledge, and capacity. However, it’s not always possible or desirable for one country or continent to achieve these goals single-handedly. For this reason, nations need partnerships with like-minded entities. A balance is required to ensure such alliances don’t end in a new cold war.

New strategic technical alliances context

Control over specific technologies are necessary to safeguard national sovereignty. And in the digital world, there are a fair number of these strategic autonomy systems: semiconductors, quantum technology, 5G/6G telecommunications, electronic identification and trusted computing (EIDTC), cloud services and data spaces (CSDS), and social networks and artificial intelligence (SN-AI). 

According to a 2021 Stanford University study, democratic countries should form these technical alliances in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It’s up to developed economies, such as the US and the European Union (EU), to lead such alliances based on fair practices, including establishing technological governance policies. These frameworks ensure that any use of AI and machine learning (ML) remains ethical and sustainable.

However, in pursuit of these technical alliances, there have been some instances of geopolitical tensions. An example is in December 2020, when the EU signed a multi-billion-dollar investment agreement with China, which the US administration under president Biden criticized. 

The US and China have been engaged in a 5G infrastructure race, where both countries have tried to persuade developing economies to refrain from using their rival’s services. It doesn’t help that China has been leading the development of quantum computing technologies while the US has been leading in AI development, further increasing distrust between the two countries as they vie to become the dominant technological leader.

Disruptive impact

According to the Stanford study, strategic technical alliances should set worldwide technological standards and adhere to these safety measures. These policies include benchmarks, certifications, and cross-compatibility. Another crucial step is to ensure responsible AI, where not one company or country can dominate the technology and manipulate algorithms for its gain.

In 2022, at the heels of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) published a report on forward steps for collaboration between political entities, industries, and technologists. The Report on Strategic Autonomy Tech Alliances provides an update on the current status and next steps that need to be taken for the EU to become autonomous again.

The EU identified countries like the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and India as possible partners across various initiatives, from managing internet addresses globally to working together to reverse climate change. An area where the EU is inviting more global collaboration is semiconductors. The Union proposed the EU Chips Act to build more factories to support increasingly higher computing power and be less reliant on China.

Strategic alliances like this advance research and development, particularly in green energy, an area many countries are desperately trying to fast-track. As Europe tries to wean itself off Russian gas and oil, these sustainable initiatives will be more necessary, including building hydrogen pipelines, offshore wind turbines, and solar panel farms.

Implications of new strategic technical alliances

Wider implications of new strategic technical alliances may include: 

• Various individual and regional collaborations among countries and companies to share research and development costs.
• Faster results for scientific research, particularly in drug development and genetic therapies.
• An increasing rift between China and the US-EU contingent as these two entities try to build technological influence in low- and middle-income countries.
• Emerging economies getting caught in various geopolitical tensions, resulting in shifting allegiances and sanctions.
• The EU increasing its funding for global technological collaboration on sustainable energy, opening up opportunities for African and Asian nations.

Questions to comment on

• How is your country collaborating with other nations in technological R&D?
• What are the other benefits and challenges of such technical alliances?