Multilateral science and technology acts: The race to global dominance

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• August 7, 2023

Insight highlights

Countries are implementing multilateral strategies on science, technology, and innovation to enhance resilience and address global challenges. However, the surge in international collaboration raises complex intellectual property rights issues, ownership of breakthroughs and discoveries, and ethical considerations. Nonetheless, these global collaborations can spur increased investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce training.

Multilateral science and technology acts context

In 2022, the nonpartisan organization Atlantic Council wrote a memo urging the US government to design multilateral strategies for technology dominance amid escalating competition with China. The US needs to employ a balanced "protect" and "run faster" strategy to effectively compete with China in technological fields. Policies such as export controls and sanctions ("protect") may create inefficiencies, which "run faster" approaches like industrial stimulation must address. 

Implementing these policies multilaterally rather than unilaterally is more effective, ensuring cooperation on both domestic and international fronts. Policymakers have begun crafting strategies to counter China's technology dominance quest, with successful discussions held in multilateral forums like the US-European Union (EU) Technology and Trade Council (TTC) and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad). Industrial policies like the CHIPS and Science Act, along with new controls on semiconductors, represent a blend of "run faster" and "protect" strategies.

Meanwhile, the EU is implementing its multilateral strategies on science, technology, and innovation (STI). The Union thinks STI in foreign and security policies can enhance resilience and strategic autonomy while effectively addressing challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. The Union also highlighted that academic freedom, research ethics, gender equality, and open science in a multipolar world, where rules-based multilateralism is threatened by foreign actors interfering in academia, are becoming increasingly essential.

Disruptive impact

One of the critical points of debate in multilateral acts is intellectual property rights. A high-profile example is activists and scientists urging pharmaceutical companies to waive their patents on the COVID vaccines to help low-income countries develop their supply. Big Pharma has funded studies and collaborated with global scientists and research institutions to fast-track the development of mRNA vaccines, and some think that it is only ethical that they don't lock this life-saving discovery behind a paywall.

Issues like these are likely to escalate as more multilateral acts are established. Who owns the breakthroughs and discoveries? Who decides how these innovations can be commercialized or monetized? What about essential drugs, like a cure for cancer or diabetes? What happens to the genetic databases used during global clinical studies? These concerns need to be explicitly addressed by these partnerships, especially if they involve global healthcare or solutions to climate change.

However, a positive impact of these increasing global collaborations is that there will likely be increased investments in STEM, whether in education or workforce training. According to the Atlantic Council, China's upcoming projection to produce more STEM Ph.D. graduates than the US by 2025 demonstrates the effectiveness of its strategic focus on education. This development suggests that countries may need to reevaluate and possibly intensify their strategies in education and technology to keep pace.

Implications of multilateral science and technology acts

Wider implications of multilateral science and technology acts may include: 

• Increased knowledge sharing, research cooperation, and joint development of new technologies leading to accelerated scientific progress across medicine, energy, agriculture, and other critical areas.


• Economic growth by promoting innovation and technological advancements. By pooling resources and expertise, countries can develop new industries, create high-value jobs, and attract investment in emerging fields.


• Platforms for diplomatic engagement, fostering international cooperation and building trust among nations. By working together on shared scientific goals, countries can strengthen political relationships, resolve conflicts, and establish frameworks for addressing global challenges.


• Joint research projects leading to advancements in healthcare, resulting in improved life expectancies and changes in population dynamics, such as an aging population or shifting fertility rates.


• Development of new and transformative technologies, such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and biotechnology, with far-reaching implications for healthcare, transportation, and communications.


• The development of sustainable technologies, renewable energy solutions, and innovative approaches to mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and promote environmental conservation.


• Narrowing the global knowledge gap, improving access to scientific advancements, and promoting inclusive development, particularly in underprivileged regions or marginalized communities.

Questions to consider

• If you work in STEM, what joint global research projects are you participating in?


• How can countries ensure that these multilateral collaborations result in enhanced public services?