The Strategic Balancing Initiative (SBI) at the Institute for Security and Technology (IST) works to overcome public-private misalignments in the technology development ecosystem in order to accelerate American economic competitive advantage with the People’s Republic of China.
Technology drives economic success, both as a stand-alone market segment and as a necessary elementpart of other businesses, including those in energy, healthcare, and finance. This economic significance directly translates into improved national security. Although scholars and policymakers have long understood economic strength to improve national security, technological strength is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Leadership in the technology development ecosystem confers countries with direct and immediate advantages, some of which stem from the reality that leaders in tech get to set the protocols and precedents for other companies and countries to follow.
No global competitor threatens American technological superiority more than the People’s Republic of China, which creates technologies and tech policies that facilitate genocide domestically and perpetuate authoritarian interests abroad. That’s where SBI comes in.
"The startup ecosystem has historically been an under-covered domain of the U.S. economic activity and of little geostrategic importance to policymakers. While most recognized Silicon Valley as a technological hotbed, very few paid much attention to how technology companies were funded, how much funding they required, over what timeframe, who provided the funding, and what information and rights the funders received in exchange for their checks. But as state-backed actors like China have become peer competitors, and as technology has advanced to service both military and civilian use cases, policymakers have taken notice."
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About the Initiative
SBI takes an iterative approach to accelerate American economic competitive advantage with China: convening experts, researching what those experts identify, and developing public-facing papers and events to make it easier for leaders in Silicon Valley and DC to align on practical solutions.
In consultation with cross-sectoral industry experts and national security policymakers, SBI examines these critical misalignments between national security interests and technology industry incentives. The initiative works to align public and private sector leadership on international policies and programs—particularly with respect to China—and identify actionable ways for governments and companies to work together to improve American technological advantages. Throughout the project, IST will share its findings with policymakers, seeking their feedback on technology industry views and proposals. Ultimately, the project will create new channels for cooperation between technologists, technology businesses, and policymakers, while generating actionable recommendations that public and private sector leaders can take to improve American standing. SBI explicitly seeks to accelerate U.S. innovation and growth in emerging and critical technologies — contributing to American competitiveness with China and the global technology ecosystem.
