12/21/2021

Take a Cue From Science When Facing Disruption in Your Industry

The world is changing - everywhere

The global pursuit and development of COVID-19 vaccines saw critical contributions from researchers and manufacturers around the world. Those efforts may be among the first publicly visible heralds of change within science professions and industries. Although the United States has been the world leader in scientific research and development since the early 20^th century, recent data suggests that leadership in science R&D may be centered elsewhere in the future.

According to the World Economic Forum, China produced the highest number of STEM graduates globally in 2016, with 4.7 million students graduating with science, technology, engineering or mathematics degrees there. Scientific study isn’t just growing in China. UNESCO data reveals that more than 30 percent of higher ed grads in Oman, Tunisia, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, Algeria, Iran, Myanmar and Belarus took a STEM degree in 2018.

Drawing on this data and other trends, the “Changing Science” ASAE ForesightWorks driver of change action brief forecasts that, in coming years, the majority of the scientific workforce and global R&D spending will be in East and South Asia. These new centers of scientific research will reflect the cultures and priorities of the countries in which they are based—or those of funders or corporate interests.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE's Center for Association Leadership.