The Three Pillars of U.S. Technological Leadership

The United States stands at a pivotal moment in the global technological race, facing an increasingly assertive China that leverages state-backed investments to dominate key industries. From artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to semiconductors and space technologies, the stakes go beyond economic competition—a contest for information dominance resulting in strategic and national security superiority. To maintain global technological dominance and safeguard national security, the U.S. must implement aggressive policies focused on innovation-driven investment, cybersecurity fortification, and scalable infrastructure modernization to outpace China’s state-backed advancements.

Innovation-driven Investment

At the core of American technological leadership is its capacity for innovation. Unlike China’s state-controlled approach, the U.S. thrives on a dynamic ecosystem of private-sector ingenuity, academic research, and government collaboration. However, to sustain this edge, Washington must commit to bold investments in foundational technologies and establish policies reinforcing the country’s role as a global technology leader.

The U.S. cannot afford to fall behind in foundational technologies such as quantum computing, AI, advanced semiconductors, and space infrastructure. China has made significant strides, notably with its Jiuzhang quantum computer, which has surpassed classical supercomputers, and DeepSeek, an AI model that rivals the most advanced generative AI systems. Without targeted federal funding and incentives for private-sector research, the U.S. risks losing leadership in these transformative fields. Federal investment must focus on developing secure, scalable AI infrastructure and quantum technologies to maintain an edge in next-generation computing.

Space technology is another crucial domain, serving as the backbone for secure communications, navigation, resource mining, and future space-based economies. China’s expansion of its BeiDou satellite network and its lunar ambitions signal a clear bid for space dominance. The U.S. must reinforce investments in satellite communications, deep-space exploration, and space-based defense systems to counter this. Establishing space as a recognized critical infrastructure sector will ensure sustained funding and security to maintain leadership in this field.

Workforce development is a critical driver of innovation. China’s substantial investment in STEM education—producing more engineers annually than the U.S.—directly challenges American technological leadership. To remain competitive, U.S. education policy must proactively emphasize AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing across K-12 and higher education, ensuring a robust pipeline of skilled professionals. With approximately 300 million K-12 students in China compared to around 50 million in the U.S., sheer numbers alone provide China with a significant advantage—assuming education quality and standards are equal, which they are not.

Cybersecurity Fortification

Technological leadership is meaningless without security and resilience. Cyber threats, intellectual property (IP) theft, and supply chain vulnerabilities jeopardize U.S. competitiveness. Without robust security measures, China will continue to exploit American innovations to gain a competitive edge.

One of the most critical defenses against cyber threats is cryptographic innovation. Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), tokenization, and distributed data storage provide multilayered safeguards for sensitive data. These technologies should be integrated into national cybersecurity strategies to protect financial transactions, healthcare records, AI model integrity, and other sensitive data from foreign exploitation.

• Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs): ZKPs allow information verification without revealing the data itself, ensuring security and privacy. This cryptographic innovation is essential to countering China’s cyber espionage efforts and protecting classified information.
• Tokenization: Tokenization replaces sensitive data with randomized tokens, preventing adversaries from gaining actionable insights. Even if a token is intercepted, it holds no value without access to the secure token vault.
• Distributed Data Storage: This approach fragments and encrypts data across multiple decentralized locations, ensuring that a cyberattack must compromise multiple systems to retrieve complete data, reducing the risk of catastrophic exposure.

The security of the U.S. software and hardware supply chain is another fundamental pillar of national defense and economic resilience. Without stringent protections, adversarial nations like China will continue exploiting vulnerabilities to compromise critical systems, introduce backdoors, and steal proprietary innovations. The U.S. must ensure that all components of its technology ecosystem—hardware, firmware, and software—adhere to rigorous security standards to mitigate foreign threats and supply chain attacks.

One essential measure is the mandatory adoption of the Software and Hardware Bill of Materials (SBOM and HBOM) across all federal procurement processes. These measures enhance transparency and accountability, ensuring that technology components undergo rigorous vetting and remain free of hidden exploits. By enforcing this standard, the U.S. can significantly reduce the risk of supply chain vulnerabilities that state-sponsored cyber threats could exploit.

Additionally, robust firmware security measures must be mandated to safeguard critical infrastructure components. Firmware is often an overlooked attack vector yet remains a prime target for adversarial actors seeking persistent access to essential systems. Federal agencies must collaborate with private industry partners to develop hardened firmware security standards and ensure all government-contracted hardware meets strict cybersecurity requirements.

Scalable Infrastructure Modernization 

Maintaining an edge in technological competition requires more than short-term victories—it demands sustained economic competitiveness, infrastructure modernization, and resource security. The U.S. must invest in scalable digital and physical infrastructure to ensure long-term resilience and technological dominance.

The future of U.S. technological leadership depends on having the means to scale data storage through cloud computing, access increasing power needs through smart energy grids, and ensure the rapid transmission of massive data volumes through next-generation broadband connectivity. These technologies will enhance critical infrastructure’s efficiency, security, and scalability, providing the U.S. remains ahead of global competitors. China’s advancements in 6G networks, smart city initiatives, and AI-driven infrastructure showcase a long-term vision that the U.S. must match or exceed. American industries risk obsolescence in key sectors, including telecommunications, cybersecurity, and automated industrial systems, without comparable investment.

The U.S. must prioritize investments in quantum-safe encryption, AI-powered cybersecurity frameworks, and resilient cloud computing architectures to achieve scalability. Establishing public-private partnerships will foster innovation while ensuring secure and scalable deployment of new technologies. Furthermore, encouraging collaboration between government agencies, research institutions, and private enterprises will help accelerate the commercialization of emerging technologies, keeping the U.S. ahead in the global race.

The race for technological supremacy will determine the next era of global power, and the United States must lead from the front. Strengthening innovation ecosystems, fortifying cybersecurity defenses, and modernizing infrastructure are the pillars of sustained economic and strategic advantage. With decisive action, the U.S. can maintain its leadership in the face of mounting competition. Without it, the momentum of China’s technological expansion will shift the balance of global influence, placing American security and prosperity at risk.

Dr. Georgianna “George” Shea, chief technologist at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation and its Transformative Cyber Innovation Lab, is a visionary leader in cybersecurity with nearly 30 years of pioneering experience across federal and commercial sectors. Renowned for her ability to translate complex technical challenges into innovative security solutions, she has been instrumental in safeguarding critical national infrastructure. Dr. Shea is at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation, bridging the gap between technical complexity and business needs by spearheading the development and piloting of groundbreaking projects that tackle the most pressing national security challenges and shape industry policies and security frameworks.