Reports

After several failed attempts to boost its manufacturing sector, the Indian government announced a new production-linked incentive scheme that could turn the country into a phone making hub. Apple and Samsung, among other companies, will now relocate part of their supply chains to make and export high-end mobile phones from ...

The continuing rise of sophisticated state-supported cyberattacks has been one of the most crucial security developments of the last decade. An estimated 60 countries have developed offensive hacking capabilities as part of their asymmetric or hybrid warfare strategies. The U.S. Cyber Command has adopted an offensive doctrine that envisages counterattacks ...

Technology is driving a shift in geopolitical influence, and the private sector seems poised to play a significant role in the emerging world order. All governments will need to acknowledge that they no longer wield exclusive power and influence on the global stage. However, the challenges posed by this new ...

Joe Biden’s policies toward China can be inferred from his political trajectory, his record and election promises, and also the policies and public statements of key figures in the president-elect’s emerging administration. This report indicates the areas in foreign relations, trade, technology and defense where policy changes are imminent, and ...

With a growing Chinese presence in Asia, it is crucial for Japan to maintain its position as one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. To achieve this, the Japanese are likely to tap into their long tradition of rapid modernization. This time, the country will need to ...

Several large global technology firms have pumped billions of dollars of investments into India’s digital economy sector this year. The development reflects a trend toward “super apps” being created in the country, helped along by favorable government policies. The question is whether the market will remain fiercely competitive, or devolve ...

The Covid-19 pandemic has provided an incentive for Latin American cities with high-density slums to rethink their approach to slum upgrading efforts. Rebuilding the informal settlements to ease population density and other structural issues is not likely in crisis-stricken economies. However, new technologies are making a dent in the problem.

The Chinese app TikTok has rapidly conquered the American market, but its fate is now uncertain due to security concerns. President Trump has put an upcoming ban on hold to discuss a deal that would create a joint venture between American and Chinese companies. However, Beijing has proven unwilling to ...

The success of a private company teaming up with NASA to launch astronauts past Earth’s atmosphere shows how far technology has come since the first space race between the U.S. and USSR in the 1950s and 1960s. With such advancements at hand, more countries are engaging in extraterrestrial travel and ...

China, the United States and other technologically advanced countries are in an epic race to develop the next generation of computing machines – with designs based on quantum physics’ principles. The state that achieves an early breakthrough in this contest could gain scientific, military, economic and geopolitical advantages of historic ...

Europe is on a mission to increase its production of batteries by establishing a foundation for large-scale supply chains on the continent. It is a tricky proposition, not least because it is an expensive plan to carry out and China already holds the dominant position. Success, however, could benefit a ...

China’s new, more aggressive foreign policy has been dubbed “wolf warrior diplomacy,” after a Rambo-style movie popular in the country. President Xi Jinping believes he can take a stronger hand, since he considers it inevitable that China will soon take over the U.S.’s global leadership role. But the adversarial stance ...

The semiconductor industry has become a matter of crucial geopolitical importance for the United States and China. Both countries are acutely aware that the outcome of the technological race will give the winner a hefty advantage in the great power competition currently unfolding. For the time being, Washington is ahead, ...

In sub-Saharan Africa, the digital revolution has propelled innovation and development on an unprecedented scale. With those benefits come dangers, especially with the advance of e-commerce and e-government, which use troves of personal data. But while criminal and terrorist groups could exploit vulnerabilities, governments could also use cybersecurity as an ...

The Covid-19 pandemic has made technology in education a necessity rather than an innovation. Most countries in Latin America have overcome difficult circumstances by resorting to a wide range of strategies, including learning through radio and television, gamification and free internet access to learning materials. Governments in the region can ...

Among the developed nations in Europe and North America, productivity growth had been on a steady decline over recent years. The Covid-19 crisis brought a sharp change in that trend, with some countries seeing an increase in productivity by more than 20 percent. It was a surprising result, especially with ...

The U.S. and China are engaged in tit-for-tat threats over 5G. The stakes are high, since the technology will shape the future in unpredictable ways, and the competition will determine the technical infrastructure of modern governance. Whichever country gains the upper hand will also gain a geopolitical advantage – but ...

More than 100 times faster than 3G and 4G, the next generation of cellular technology could reshape economies and societies. European countries may face political and industrial espionage if they cooperate with Huawei in their 5G rollout, however completely excluding the Chinese telecommunications giant could prove costly and impractical. But ...

Blockchain has the potential to revolutionize public administration by fostering efficiency, transparency and automation. There are limits to the technology, but currently the main roadblocks are of a legal and organizational nature. Some governments have already started removing such hurdles or teamed up with technology providers to build innovative solutions.

Europe is hesitating in the face of the Chinese technological challenge. The current tensions between Washington and Beijing open plenty of opportunities to cooperate with China. At the same time, however, the U.S. administration is putting pressure on its allies, counting on a common front against Beijing. Choosing either side ...

Blockchain technology could profoundly change how states and governments operate. Its ability to quickly and securely transfer assets could disrupt current institutional frameworks and decentralize power. It is therefore unclear how far states will go to support blockchain, even though it could make their economies and their own operations more ...

Deploying 5G technology is more a slog than a race, and the U.S. is further ahead than many have given it credit for. While China's centralized, authoritarian government can allocate spectrum and infrastructure sites faster than the U.S., the real benefits from 5G will come from the innovation that it ...

The U.S.-China trade dispute is not just about unfair practices or a large trade deficit. It has deeper roots, with origins in Beijing’s aspiration to become a globally dominant leader in several technology sectors. That ambition – and Washington’s wariness of it – will not abate anytime soon. So while ...

Under the guise of Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, which was implemented in 2018, EU governments are collecting and sharing citizens’ financial data in ways that violate democratic privacy rules and go well beyond the legitimate needs of combatting tax evasion and money laundering or terrorism. This overreach is part ...