Tommy Shih

The global research landscape has changed significantly since the late 1990s. Today, more countries are involved in high-quality research production, and the share of international collaborations in total publication volume has increased significantly. It is clear that international exchanges and personal mobility have strengthened national science systems and continue to do so. Furthermore, international collaborations are crucial for coordinating solutions to global challenges.

Rapidly developing economies, advanced innovation, and scientific capacity in many countries outside the Western sphere have led to changing global power dynamics and geopolitical frictions. The past decade in particular has been characterized by increasing geopolitical conflict, especially between the world’s two largest science nations, the United States and China. The adversarial tensions have also impacted other parts of the world and the global research landscape. In the current world situation, the risks associated with international changes have become increasingly acknowledged. Research and technology are seen as an important field for economic security and influence in the multilateral system. This means that more demands are placed on research interests to take into account national and regional interests.

In Europe, the term “open strategic autonomy” has been used as a key concept by the European Union. This includes an emphasis on continued global engagement in research and research-related innovation but with derisking as an important component. These risks may relate to hybrid threats or impact on national research actors, as well as undesirable technology and knowledge transfer. The risks are associated with loss of economic competitiveness, deterioration of innovation and scientific strength vis-à-vis other countries, and weakening of democratic institutions.