resources, including data access, but may lack the bene昀椀ts of more open, creative, and competitive environments. Technologies Di昀昀using Globally. Spin o昀昀 technologies and applications are often available for rapid adoption in nearly every region of the world, enabling even developing countries to take advantage of the latest core advances, develop global applications in niche areas, or contribute to the supply chains of more advanced economies. Many states will seek to accelerate and harness this process, sponsoring focused e昀昀orts, such as regional alternatives to Silicon Valley or biotechnol- ogy incubators that will increase the risk of surprise from novel applications arising from unexpected locations. Timelines Shrinking. The time to develop, deploy, mature, and then retire technologies is moving from decades to years and sometimes faster. Multiple actors, including corporations and states, at the forefront of emerging tech- nology may deploy and exploit a new technol- ogy before others get o昀昀 the starting blocks. Those trying to catch up, especially in devel- oping countries, may be increasingly forced to choose technologies before the implications of those choices are fully understood, risking in- vestment in technological dead ends or falling hopelessly behind. Planned economies may be able to react faster to emerging technology de- velopments, potentially at the cost of reduced technological diversity and e昀케ciency. TECHNOLOGIES DRIVING TRANSFORMATION Although technology advances in unpredict- able ways, shaped by unexpected di昀케culties and unanticipated breakthroughs, some technological areas appear to o昀昀er the po- A MORE CONTESTED WORLD 57 Photo / Bigstock