Top 10 Technologies Advanced Nations

 

The top ten technologically advanced countries in the world are China, Germany, Russia, Britain, India, Japan, South Korea, Canada, France, United States, and Brazil (Nadeau, 2018). These countries have made tremendous strides towards achieving their technological advancement goals, from developing cutting-edge technology sectors, such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, space exploration, digital communications, quantum computing, and biotechnology, to building robust supply chains that facilitate goods movement across countries.

However, despite these advancements, there are still some countries, particularly those with low levels of innovation, that lag in terms of their technological advancement, hence becoming less developed nations. In this regard, it is imperative for them to focus on enhancing their technological prowess to support international trade, foster competitiveness, enhance social welfare, and improve public health and safety in pursuit of attaining high standards of living and well being.

This research paper will explore various reasons why some countries lag behind others in advancing technological aspects, including comparative advantage, industrial base, political system, cultural practices, demographics, legal frameworks, and economic structures. It will also provide recommendations to help the country attain higher levels of technological progress.

Comparative Advantage

Comparative advantage refers to the advantages or disadvantages an individual or nation enjoys over its neighbors. A country can be considered successful if it has achieved positive net exports compared to other countries and has a highly proficient domestic labor force (Flynn et al., 2017).

Comparative advantage allows nations to achieve greater productivity, job market flexibility, better access to international markets, increased foreign direct investment flows, and more export revenues in comparison to other nations (Flynn et al., 2017).

Thus, comparative advantage can enable a country to grow faster than its neighboring nations, which means better performance in global affairs. However, for several countries in the 21st century, it may not be possible to achieve comparative advantage due to internal issues, such as corruption, financial constraints, poor governance, weak institutions, or lack of natural resources.

Industrial Base

The industrial base refers to the percentage share of total employment in manufacturing products and services that come from one country versus another. Industrialization has been linked to high rates of poverty reduction, increased urbanization, lower infant mortality rates, and increased per capita GDP growth (Flynn et al., 2017).

Therefore, if a country’s economy is primarily dependent on manufacturing products and services, it would find itself at a disadvantage compared to other countries.

According to Flynn et al. (2017), countries that invest heavily in scientific research are likely to benefit from a superior talent pool, improved education standards, and high levels of entrepreneurship, whereas countries that rely on commodity production and import food sources from afar are likely to face economic difficulties.

Cultural Practices

Cultural diversity plays an important role in shaping how a society uses technology. According to Flynn et al. (2017), many communities around the globe have different preferences regarding language, values, norms, practices, and beliefs, impacting the adoption of new technology.

Cultural differences also impact the willingness and ability to embrace innovations and the effectiveness of an organization when introducing changes to processes. On average, there are two distinct cultural groups:

Western culture and Eastern culture. As such, individuals who belong to the West are expected to adopt modern technology at a fast pace, while individuals from East cultures prefer slow technology adoption.

Demographics

Demographic indicators refer to population characteristics in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, educational attainment, family size, income, and migration trends. Some people, particularly children, tend to emulate what they see and experience in their surroundings through learning and imitation, making them unable to adapt to new technologies (Flynn et al., 2017).

Such individuals who are unable to change and learn quickly enough require guidance and mentorship to aid their transition into adulthood. Additionally, people who live far away from home may have limited internet connectivity, leading to difficulty acquiring necessary skills and knowledge to navigate complex tasks.

Legal Framework

The legal framework refers to the set of rules or policies that govern behavior within a community or nation. An effective legal framework should include laws, regulations, and principles which govern the interactions among citizens in the nation (Flynn et al., 2017).

Without proper guidelines, individuals and businesses may engage in unlawful activities such as stealing or committing fraud, resulting in losses of property and monetary gains. Governments should ensure that legal systems promote fairness and justice in order to maintain stability in a country.

Economic Structures

The economic structure refers to the type of economic systems that determine how wealth is accumulated within and between states. Nations can be classified based on their geographical boundaries, national currencies, and level of trade integration (Flynn et al., 2017).

Economic integration occurs when a state trades with another, either by purchasing goods and services from local producers, allowing it to expand its market, or by granting loans to local companies which make investments in a given area. Integration can be beneficial because it promotes free trade, the exchange of ideas, and the facilitation of information exchange. Conversely, economic segregation occurs when individuals create exclusive classes.

Individual countries may create separate industries, such as agricultural zones or secluded areas, where their economies remain stagnant or stagnate. Segregated economies have strict regulations, such as tariffs or quotas to protect domestic industries, limiting them to foreign competition.

Recommendations

To effectively increase their technological advancement, nations in the 21st century need to prioritize the aforementioned factors. To begin with, governments should strengthen their existing infrastructure, especially transport networks. They need to establish reliable communication facilities, such as telecommunication towers, mobile devices, satellites, and radio networks, which can be used to disseminate information easily (Flynn et al., 2017).

Additionally, they need to build physical infrastructures such as roads, bridges, airports, and water systems, which can facilitate easier transportation and logistics.

Developing strong research and development capabilities, investing heavily in STEM-related fields, increasing the number of skilled workers in science, engineering, and medicine, creating opportunities for young professionals, and promoting environmental sustainability can all play an essential role in helping nations advance technologically.

Finally, nations should diversify their workforce and incorporate foreigners in business dealings. While some countries have embraced open immigration policies, others may prefer to selectively recruit immigrants, ensuring that their populations do not become too diverse.

By embracing diversity, nations can attract and retain talented candidates with varied perspectives, which are crucial to developing innovative solutions for problems facing the entire world.

References

Flynn, J. B., Koe, P. S., & McAfee, M. R. (2017). Exploring politics, history, and economics in the twenty-first century: Challenges and opportunities (Vol. 7). Taylor & Francis.

Nadeau, D. (2018). Ranking countries according to their technological potential. Harvard Business Review. Web.