Scientific breakthroughs are the foundation of modern technological resources

that nations depend on, whether to improve citizens’ daily lives or economical status through patents and exports.

Countries with a stronger economy and social stability have gone further in expanding their technological capabilities over the past few decades. Many of these nations face a hard choice about how freely to share their knowledge with others across borders at the risk of weakening their economic advantage. Open collaboration would increase efficiency by pooling talent from each country involved, as well as bring a greater perspective that spans across countries.

Yet, governments often make the decision of classifying their research due to economic competition between nations and diplomatic leverage. Historically, intellectual property theft between competing countries has been known to give the rival nation the upper hand on the nation that developed the technology. During the First Industrial Revolution, Britain wanted to keep its industrial advantage over the US by banning the exportation of machinery. Samuel Slater, an apprentice in the textile domain, arrived in the United States with the design of the machinery memorized and helped grow the rival nations industry instead. Historical events like this push countries to classify their respective works. While these decisions protect sensitive information, they also slow processes and raise costs for every nation.

Collaborative projects such as the International Space Station, a research facility that orbits the Earth, show that collaboration does not require revealing every piece of technological hardware. Instead, it can rely on a selective approach that fosters trust between countries but also encourages clear boundaries. Through consensus, nations can support one another’s progress while preserving classified information.