2024 Global Technology Rankings: The United States leads with 71 world firsts, the UK has 4, and China?
Introduction
Who rules the world today? Naturally, it's the world of technology, and as a powerful nation in technology, the United States has always ranked at the forefront of the world.
According to the latest global technology rankings, the United States has secured 71 world firsts, while the UK, a developing country in technology, has only 4.
And what about China? China, a country that has continuously achieved technological innovation in recent years, what is our ranking?
Technology Powerhouse
When it comes to technology powerhouses, the United States is undoubtedly the leader of the pack. In this ranking, the United States has taken 71 world firsts, more than half of the 125 cutting-edge technologies.
This is quite a remarkable achievement, right? But the United States is not just strong in one area; it also leads in 7 major research fields, sitting firmly in the top spot.
According to the "2024 Research Frontiers" and "2024 Research Frontiers Heat Index" reports released by Xinhua News Agency, the United States' technological status remains solid.
So, how has the United States achieved this?
The United States' dominant position in technology is inseparable from its deep accumulation and substantial investment in this field over the years. Imagine, the United States invests billions of dollars into research annually, which is also one of the highest in the world.
As the saying goes, "Even the cleverest housewife can't cook a meal without rice," and with money, it's like giving technology wings to fly higher and further.
In addition, one must not overlook the talent in the United States.
The United States has a vast number of technological talents, whether they are from the United States本土 or from India, China, and other countries. The United States widely welcomes talented individuals, and in its research teams, about 43% of the doctors are immigrants from other countries.
With money, how can one fail to attract talent? With talent, the development of the United States' technology is naturally not a problem.
However, the United States' dominant position in technology has recently faced some challenges. Since Trump took office, the United States has tightened its immigration policies, and even holds a certain hostility towards Chinese scientists, leading to the loss of many talents.
The talent gap in key areas such as semiconductors is growing, and with visas being difficult to obtain and green cards requiring a long wait, many researchers are beginning to reconsider. This is undoubtedly a problem for the sustainable development of American technology.
Compared to the United States, where does the UK rank in technology? How many entries do they have?
The UK's Technology Development
At first glance, the UK's technology ranking seems somewhat disappointing. In the 125 cutting-edge fields, it has only secured 4 first places, with a percentage of only 3.2%. Compared to the United States' more than 50% share, the gap is indeed quite large.
However, we should not underestimate the UK just because it has fewer first places. It must be noted that the UK, together with Germany and France, has firmly secured a place among the top five in global technology, which is also a Greatful achievement.
Moreover, the UK has some real expertise in certain fields. Take aero-engines, for example; their technology is not to be underestimated. UK-made engines are efficient and quiet, with excellent performance that is in high demand in the global high-end market.
When it comes to artificial intelligence, the UK is also a force to be reckoned with. After all, Alan Turing, the "Father of Artificial Intelligence," was a true-blue Brit. This genius laid the theoretical foundation for modern computers and artificial intelligence, making the UK a cradle of AI.
The Shocking the world AlphaGo was developed based on British theory, indicating that the UK has great potential in the field of AI.
Of course, the UK's technological strength is not just based on the present; it has a profound historical heritage. Scientific giants like Newton and Darwin are the pride of the UK. Their theories and discoveries laid the foundation for modern science, and such a tradition and accumulation are the backbone of the UK's technology.
However, the UK's technological development has recently encountered some bottlenecks. Despite breakthroughs in certain areas, there is a lack of innovation, and compared to the continuous innovation in the United States, some of the UK's technologies are lagging behind and face difficulties in breaking through.
But despite the bottlenecks and challenges, with world-renowned universities like Oxford and Cambridge supplying excellent talent, the future of UK technology is not to be underestimated.
Having discussed the United States and the UK, what is China's ranking?
China's Technological Rise
China's performance in this round can be described as impressive. In these 125 cutting-edge fields, China has secured 39 first places, accounting for 31.2%, firmly placing it in second place in the world.
This is a result that comes just after the United States, far surpassing other countries, and this achievement is not something that can be easily obtained; it represents the hard work and sweat of Chinese scientific and technological workers.
By 2023, China's investment in scientific research had exceeded 3.3 trillion, although it still lags behind the United States, it is far ahead of other countries.
However, money alone is not enough. Chinese enterprises are also innovating in a substantial way, and the government is encouraging enterprises to shift from manufacturing to innovative enterprises.
In fields such as drone technology and 5G communication technology, Chinese enterprises have achieved breakthroughs, with companies like Huawei and DJI investing the majority of their revenue into research and overcoming one technological hurdle after another.
Furthermore, China's technological innovation clusters are far ahead, with data showing that China accounts for 26 of the top 100 global technological innovation clusters, ranking first in the world for many consecutive years.
Of course, China's technological rise has not been smooth sailing. After all, we started late and still face some "choke point" issues. In certain high-end core technologies, we are still dependent on others, and the difficulty of independent research and development still exists.
But in fact, China's technology now surpasses that of the United States in certain fields. Which fields are they?
The Sino-American Technology Rivalry
When it comes to the contest between Chinese and American technology, it's a huge topic. These two technological powers are neck and neck in many fields, with fierce competition.
Take agricultural science, botany, zoology, chemistry, materials science, physics, information science, and other fields, China's research heat index ranks first in the world.
In fields such as physics and information science, the competition between China and the United States is quite intense, with neither having a clear advantage. But it is undeniable that China's rise in these fields is quite astonishing.
Of course, not all aspects of the Sino-American technology contest are our strengths. The United States' advantage mainly lies in its substantial research investment and strong talent attraction.
However, the United States' talent policy seems to be changing in recent years, especially becoming increasingly unfriendly towards Chinese scientists, leading to the loss of many talents.
In contrast, although we started late, our pace of technological development is world-renowned, and we are also facing some "choke point" issues.
Moreover, we still have some shortcomings in basic research, which is because our accumulation time is not long enough, and we have had fewer opportunities to make mistakes. Today, we are working hard to catch up and strive to narrow this gap as soon as possible.
Conclusion
This global technology ranking gives us an opportunity to observe the world's technological landscape. Technological competition is never achieved overnight.
The United States has its profound accumulation and advantages, but it also faces issues such as talent loss. The UK, despite its profound heritage, still faces significant challenges in terms of innovation and breakthroughs.
China may be developing rapidly, but there are still core technologies that need breakthroughs, and basic research also needs strengthening. Nonetheless, technological progress has never been a solo act for any one country; it requires the cooperation and effort of countries around the world.
Each country has its own role and contribution in this process.