Mohammed Soliman
The 21st century will be defined by a race between two competing technological models—one driven by state-directed industrial policy, the other by entrepreneurial dynamism. At stake is not just economic leadership but the architecture of global power itself. The technologies shaping this contest—AI, hypersonic aviation, space-based infrastructure—require vast energy resources, streamlined regulatory frameworks, and a skilled workforce. The challenge for the United States is not merely to innovate faster than China but to remove the bureaucratic inertia that threatens to slow its progress.
If the U.S. fails to counterbalance China’s long-term vision, it risks ceding entire technological domains to Beijing. This requires radical reforms: streamlining approvals for next-generation aviation and satellite networks, accelerating nuclear and geothermal energy permitting, and expanding AI semiconductor research beyond the constraints of traditional funding cycles. The U.S. must also double down on STEM education and workforce development. Studies published in 2023, using the most available data from 2020, shows that China graduates 3.57 million STEM students annually—over four times the U.S. total. Washington cannot compete on numbers alone, but it can aggressively scale AI and semiconductor vocational training through apprenticeship programs, military reskilling initiatives, and federally backed innovation hubs.
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