The Return of the State as a Strategic Technological Actor

Throughout modern history, the relationship between political power and technological development has been decisive in shaping the nature of the State. Every major innovation, from artillery to automation, has altered the balance between political authority, economic capacity, and military strength. Technology has never evolved independently, but rather within organizational and institutional frameworks in which the State acted as coordinator, financier, and regulator. When the complexity and cost of technological systems exceeded what markets could sustain, public intervention became essential. Military innovation, in particular, has always required long-term investment, stable research environments, and protection of strategic knowledge—conditions incompatible with short-term market logic. For this reason, in every period of industrial or strategic transition, the State has returned to the forefront as the only actor capable of aligning scientific progress, industrial organization, and national security within a coherent political vision.