By Ahmad Ibrahim
The world is increasingly driven by science, technology and innovation, STI. The sustainability agenda looks to STI for solutions. Balancing environment, society, and economy calls for support from STI. Industries invest heavily in STI to drive business progress and prosperity. AI, Genomics, Data Centres are among such STI instruments set to drive industry competitiveness. All such initiatives call for good leadership in STI. That the world lacks leadership in science, technology, and innovation reflects a growing concern about the ability to effectively address global challenges, harness technological advancements for the common good, and guide innovation in a way that benefits society as a whole.
There are challenges of fragmented leadership. Global coordination has become more urgent. Technological advancements are global, but leadership is often fragmented along national, regional, and institutional lines. This makes it difficult to create cohesive strategies for addressing global issues like climate change, health pandemics, and cybersecurity threats. Lack of visionary leadership is a concern. There is often a shortage of leaders with the vision to foresee future challenges and opportunities, and to guide scientific and technological development toward sustainable and equitable goals.
The world needs ethical and responsible innovation. The rapid pace of technological innovation has outstripped the development of ethical guidelines and governance frameworks, leading to concerns about privacy, inequality, and unintended consequences. The need for a new paradigm is obvious. Interdisciplinary and inclusive leadership has been flagged as the way forward. Effective leadership in science and technology requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes voices from diverse fields and communities. This ensures that innovation is inclusive and addresses the needs of all segments of society.
Long-term thinking is a prerequisite. Leaders must think beyond immediate gains and consider the long-term impacts of technology. This includes focusing on sustainability, resilience, and the well-being of future generations. The most pressing challenges of our time—climate change, public health, digital equity—require global cooperation. Leadership must transcend borders and encourage international collaboration and knowledge-sharing. Building STI leadership capacity can no longer be compromised. Developing leaders in science and technology starts with education. Curricula should focus on not just technical skills but also ethics, policy, and leadership. This can be achieved through specialized programs in universities, leadership development initiatives, and cross-sector training.
Leadership in science and technology must also involve effective communication with the public. Leaders should be able to engage with society, explain complex issues, and build trust in scientific and technological solutions. Strong leadership requires robust governance structures that can adapt to rapid technological changes. This includes creating policies that encourage innovation while protecting public interests. There are some examples of effective leadership. Climate action is one. Leaders in renewable energy and environmental science are driving global efforts to transition to a sustainable energy future. Then there is the pandemic response. Scientists and public health experts led the fight against COVID-19, demonstrating the importance of science-led decision-making. Not to mention digital equity. Technology leaders advocating for increased access to digital technologies and the internet, ensuring that the benefits of the digital revolution are broadly shared.
What about the future directions? Cultivating global leaders is important. The world needs more global leaders in science and technology who can navigate complex international landscapes, advocate for equitable innovation, and inspire collective action. Future leaders must integrate ethical considerations into every stage of innovation, ensuring that technology serves humanity’s best interests. Encouraging leadership at the grassroots level can help address local challenges and ensure that innovation benefits all parts of society, not just the elite.
Addressing the leadership gap in science, technology, and innovation is crucial for navigating the complexities of the modern world. This requires a concerted effort to cultivate new leaders, foster global collaboration, and ensure that technological advancements contribute to a better, more equitable future. Lately, it has become clear that we need to strengthen the nation’s STI leadership. As a result of the dearth in such leadership, succession planning in key STI organisations has proved to be a major struggle. This does not augur well for STI development in the country. Time to invest in a proper centre to revolutionise STI leadership.
Dato Prof Ahmad Ibrahim is an Associate Fellow at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya, and Fellow of the International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB).