State Power and Technological Competition: The Politics of Export Controls, Industrial Policy, and Innovation Governance

The field of international political economy has seen a marked shift as technonationalism and technological competition have become defining features of relations among major powers. In recent years, geostrategic concerns have altered the governance of foundational sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, energy technologies, and digital infrastructures. These domains, once primarily shaped by global market dynamics, are now increasingly subject to state intervention via export controls, investment screening, sanctions, and other mechanisms that intertwine national security and economic objectives. This transformation raises pressing questions about the interplay of innovation, state power, and sovereignty within an evolving global order marked by fragmented technological ecosystems and intensifying rivalry.This Research Topic aims to advance knowledge on how technonationalism and interstate rivalry are transforming global innovation systems through the deployment of export controls, sanctions, and other forms of governed technological competition. By moving beyond siloed analyses, this topic seeks to reveal the reciprocal relationship between technological advancement and shifts in global political order. The objective is to foster integrative contributions that examine the use, impact, and unintended consequences of industrial policies and security instruments—illuminating how states, firms, and international actors maneuver within, and sometimes reshape, the rules of competition under conditions of geopolitical tension and technological fragmentation.This Research Topic is limited to the analysis of technonationalist strategies and their consequences for technological power competition, with a primary focus on major powers but with attention to the responses of middle powers and emerging economies. All methodological and disciplinary approaches anchored in political science are encouraged. To gather further insights in this field, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• The evolution and impact of export controls and sanctions in major technology sectors (e.g., semiconductors, AI)• Comparative case studies of state-led innovation strategies among leading and middle powers• The influence of technonationalist policies on global supply chains, standards, and platform governance• The geopolitical implications of digital sovereignty, data governance, and knowledge security• The role of industrial policy, public-private partnerships, and regulatory instruments in shaping high-tech ecosystems• Responses of firms, universities, and research networks to increasing fragmentation and rivalry• Scientific collaboration, talent mobility, and the challenges of knowledge transfer under new geopolitical constraints• Green technology competition and its links to export control regimes and sanctions• The consequences for inequality, dependence, resilience, and policy autonomy in a bifurcating technological orderWe particularly encourage Original Research, Review, Perspective, Conceptual Analysis, Policy Brief, and Policy and Practice Review manuscripts. Both qualitative and quantitative studies (including mixed methods, text analysis, network analysis, process tracing, and comparative institutional research) are welcome. Topic editors: Wenguang Tang, Jian Hu Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81712/state-power-and-technological-competition-the-politics-of-export-controls-industrial-policy-and-innovation-governance