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Megatrends in world politics and technological development
Current international system is characterized by an increasing pace of technologi- cal development, which is associated with the growing influence of technology on the nature of international relations. Today, foreign policy opportunities and the state’s position on the international arena are largely determined by its level of development of technology, science, and education.
It is hard to imagine any international or global issue in the 21st century that does not entail technological aspects. International security, statehood, global governance as well as warfare and foreign policy are thoroughly permeated by and embedded in material artifacts, technical systems and infrastructures, and sci- entific practices (The Global Politics of Science and Technology, 2016: 5). The situation is not new, however.
Throughout human history there is a vast variety of examples illustrat- ing the influence of science and technology on international affairs. Securitystudies treated science and technology as key strategic tools in the Cold War (Smith and Marx, 1994). The recent COVID-19 pandemic raised the impor- tance of biotechnologies as a matter of political competition and cooperation on the international arena.
The peculiar characteristic of modern technological development is the rapid pace of technological progress, its pervasiveness in all the spheres of human life, and the growing importance of international politics.
The chapter offers an overview of the current trends of science and technology development, and presents theoretical conceptualization of the role of science and technology in contemporary global politics. Based on this analysis, a megatrend of technological bipolarity is outlined.