InformationWeek columnist Kevin Coleman has some not so great news for us: The United States is slowly but surely falling from its perch as the globe’s technology and science leader. Instead, Coleman writes, the country is slowly – but steadily – turning into a technology laggard.
Slipping
According to Coleman, the United States is investing less today in the important fields of research-and-development, science and technology. The results have been predictable: The United States is now credited with fewer breakthroughs in new technology. In the mean time, cyber criminals are becoming bolder. This mix of more cybercrimes and fewer investment dollars is producing a less ground breaking United States.
A change
There was a time, a short time ago, when all countries looked up to the United States when it came to technology and innovation, Coleman writes. And it’s true that the United States spends more on technology and research-and-development than any other country. Even so the gap between the United States and its closest competitors is getting smaller, Coleman writes.
Others on the move
The biggest competitor? Today, it’s China. As Coleman writes, the BBC news service recently predicted that China will, by the end of this year, pass the United States as the largest investor in technology and scientific research. Already, China has surged past Japan to rank second in this category. Coleman does point to a solution: The United States needs to invest more in education, creating the next generation of scientists and researchers right here. Only by doing this, can the country restore its position as the world’s tech leader, Coleman writes.