Conclusion

Past U.S. investments to bolster collaboration with former ESPs have proven to be fruitful, worthwhile endeavors. The many ESPs that today are looking to R&D investment as a key development strategy will be home to tomorrow’s strong scientific enterprises, with presence on a global scale. To ensure its own role as a key partner in the next generation of innovation, the United States should promote relationships with ESPs and continue to be a key resource and mentor for young scientific enterprises.

In an increasingly globalized society, ESPs will be important partners for U.S. engagement. Climate change and its many cascading consequences are not confined to any one nation or region, and no one country will be able to drive the innovation and solutions needed to address these impacts. Pandemics will continue to threaten our country’s health and national security and containing them will not be possible without sufficient R&D capacity and infrastructure in ESPs. Deepening our understanding of the laws of nature on scales from the subatomic to the cosmological often requires developing new tools that in turn drive technological advances. The push to extend the boundaries of knowledge is an important part of addressing current and future global challenges.

Deepening engagement with ESPs must be a priority for the United States if it is to remain a leader in science, technology, and innovation for generations to come. The United States must be careful to respect the local contexts in which ESP researchers are working, must respect the merit and valuable perspectives that researchers in ESPs bring to the table, and must ensure that all research collaborations have goals that bring mutual benefit. With considerable intentionality, thought, and attention to these collaborations, the benefits of such engagement could be immense as we look to address future challenges as a resilient and connected global community.