Warfare is primarily technological. The battle is focused on critical resources.

“Warfare is primarily technological. Whoever holds technological supremacy also holds economic supremacy and, beyond that, can achieve global dominance. Unfortunately, in the area of research, science, and technology, we have always been, at least for the last 35 years, somewhat behind the wave,” said Flaviu Turcu, associate professor at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, in a TV interview.

Romania needs to close the gap, said the expert.

“We need to close this gap, and it would be good to have a starting point in this direction of technology. Unfortunately, we are not in pole position. Obviously, the battle is around critical resources such as rare earth elements, in order to develop the technology of the future, which is extremely difficult to identify at this moment. I refer to the NATO Science and Technology Organization, which has identified seven critical domains in recent years. All of them fall within the expertise of Elon Musk. We’re talking about autonomy, space…” said Turcu, president of the Association for Technological Diplomacy, an organization that brings together experts from NATO countries.

Additionally, when it comes to Romania, we are the last country in the European Union in the field of research.

“Romania is the last country in terms of research in the EU, both in terms of state funding and the private sector. It is critical to understand that investment in our own technology is needed,” Flaviu Turcu added.