A Universal Core and National Specificity: A Typology of Technological Priorities in National Strategies
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Keywords

emerging technologies
critical technologies
national strategies
technology typology
cluster analysis
RCA index
technological sovereignty

How to Cite

MalekovaD., VeselitskayaN., & ShashnovS. (2026). A Universal Core and National Specificity: A Typology of Technological Priorities in National Strategies. Foresight and STI Governance, 20(3), 39118. https://doi.org/10.17323/fstig.2026.39118

Abstract

Technological development dynamics underscore the relevance of a comparative analysis of national priorities in science and innovation. The article identifies and typologizes promising technologies enshrined in the development strategies of 19 countries: technological leaders—the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Spain, and Italy—and countries of the Global South—Brazil, India, China, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. It tests two hypotheses: whether a universal “core” of promising technologies exists and whether stable groups of countries with similar innovation profiles emerge. The empirical base comprises two to five strategic documents for each country, dating from 2018 to 2026. The analysis employs frequency, semantic, and content analysis; calculation of the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) index across 12 thematic sections and 86 subsections; and k-means clustering.

The analysis confirmed both hypotheses: despite a shared core of priorities, countries differ in their modes of strategic concentration, forming several types of profiles. Although the study is limited to declared rather than actual outcomes, its contribution lies in the systematic comparison of the strategies of advanced economies and Global South countries, the identification of specialization models, and the development of conceptual approaches to assessing technological sovereignty in a multipolar world.

https://doi.org/10.17323/fstig.2026.39118
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