The New Era of RDI Means Rethinking Government’s Role

RDI is in a period of extraordinary change. The collision of unprecedented technological advancements and the need to address escalating challenges are rewriting the rules of scientific research and discovery: assumptions, talent, tools, timelines, perceptions, and activities. No longer confined to a singular approach, RDI now navigates a complex set of polarities where often opposing ideas and concepts simultaneously drive the field forward.

This new era is characterized by the blurring of disciplines, the meeting of basic research and applied innovation, and the seamless integration of synthetic intelligence with human talent, to name just a few shifts. From developments in genetics now offering opportunities for personalized treatments to quantum physics’ applications in advancing computing power, we are seeing an irreversible transformation in discovery and solution development.

With RDI undergoing multiple profound paradigm shifts, we see the role of government in RDI rapidly changing too. Governments are transitioning from funders of research to active participants in the innovation ecosystem, providing guidance to players, fostering collaborations across sectors, and directly facilitating the deployment of cutting-edge technologies.

As such, this paper explores the complex changes and dichotomies rewiring RDI today and in the decade to come, and how government must update its role to meet the demands of the new RDI world.

The actions described here offer a roadmap to guide decision-making and investments in the RDI space. They show how governments can leverage their resources to foster leading scientific communities and output, to build diverse and accessible hubs for innovation and thought leadership, and to maximize RDI’s global socio-economic impact.

The paper is produced in partnership with World Government Summit and the Dubai Future Foundation.