10 countries with the most advanced technology in the world

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Technology is defined as the application of scientific knowledge, such as techniques, skills, methods, and processes, to practical purposes in human life, such as developing products and services or achieving goals to improve life. Technology is also reshaping the human experience by applying scientific knowledge to the economy, communications, medicine, and other fields.

Nowadays, technology is developing in most countries around the world although the speed is not the same. While many countries are developing rapidly in the field of technology, some countries are still left behind.

Several developed countries have massively deployed technology in several areas of daily life to help their citizens gain access to new technologies, while leveraging advances in technology to bring advantages in transportation, services, healthcare, and agriculture to improve the lives of their people.

Below are 10 countries that are considered by organizations around the world to have the most advanced technology in the world up to now.

1. Japan

Japan has a long history of inventing advanced technologies. Japanese researchers have made significant contributions to automobiles, machinery, electronics, optics, industrial robotics, semiconductors, metallurgy, and earthquake engineering.

Science and technology are one of Japan's strengths. It is also the most developed country in the world and is recognized for its in-depth research achievements, bringing great results to humanity.

Currently, in the context of the 4th Industrial Revolution, the Japanese Government has gradually issued and implemented policies to promote the 4th Industrial Revolution. In 2013, Japan launched the “Comprehensive Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation”, focusing on promoting smartness, systematization and globalization. Along with that, the key technologies that are also prioritized for development in the Strategy are digital technology, nanotechnology and environmental technology.

In particular, Japan has promoted the popularization and development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and Industry 4.0. In January 2016, the “5th Basic Plan on Science and Technology, 2016-2020” was announced, which proposed the construction of a super smart society, also known as “Society 5.0”. The main goal of “Society 5.0” is to solve social problems by connecting systems using digital technology as a foundation to unify real space and digital space. This is a society that provides goods and services according to the needs of each individual.

Japan is now considered one of the world's leading countries in technology in a number of fields, including industrial robots, automobiles, machinery, electronics, high-speed trains, smart toilets... In addition, this country is home to a number of highly regarded technology companies such as Sony, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Nintendo,...

2. America

The United States is the country with the largest economy in the world and is also the leading country in technological development in industries. This country has invented important scientific and technical advances in fields such as space science, biology, medicine, software, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, military engineering, etc. In addition, the United States is also the birthplace of some of the most famous technology companies in the world, including Apple, Intel, Google, Facebook and Microsoft.

Recent research shows that the US technology market accounts for about 37% of the world's total technology market. The technology industry in the US employs about 13 million people as of March 2022 and is expected to grow 10% by 2030.

The country’s technological advancement is attributed to the country’s large investment in research and development (R&D). Among these, biology, medicine, and pharmaceuticals are the fields with the highest number of published research in the world, far surpassing other developed countries. This is also evident in the fact that the US dominates pharmaceutical companies as well as biology and medicine.

3. South Korea

South Korea is a classic example of how a country can rise from poverty. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world in the 1960s. It is also one of the few examples of a country that has made the rapid transition from an agricultural economy to a leading industrial power in the world.

The country has achieved great success in the economy, especially in the field of technology. The Koreans have made the most of their success in the field of technology. Today, Korea is one of the world's leading countries in the automobile and smartphone industries.

South Korea is also known as the first country in the world to commercially deploy 5G mobile technology to users in April 2019 and currently, this country is also pioneering in researching and testing 6G mobile technology.

South Korea is also home to giant tech companies including Samsung, Hyundai and LG that compete with the best tech brands in the world.

4. Germany

It is the first European country to make it to the list of technologically advanced countries. Germany ranks 4th in the world's technology rankings.

This European country is one of the leading countries in many fields such as the automotive industry, space science and military technology. Germans are also considered to be leading experts in military technology, engineering, medical research and infrastructure development.

Germany is home to three of the world’s leading scientific and technological research organizations: the Fraunhofer Society, the Max Planck Society, and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Society. In addition, Germany is also the birthplace of world-famous automobile manufacturing companies such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes, etc.

5. Singapore

Singapore is a typical country in capturing technological advances to design and build a modern and people-friendly country, creating a leading smart nation model in the world.

This country is the perfect model for a nation of the future. Not only is it the smartest country in the world, Singapore also has many other outstanding features such as: clean living environment, ideal educational environment, very high social standards, very few social evils, corruption...

Singapore is also known as the country with the fastest internet access speed in the world, which has brought many favorable opportunities for people as well as organizations and businesses in the digital age. In addition, Singapore's science and technology industry is also growing very quickly thanks to venture capitalists continuing to invest in newly established companies.

Some outstanding technological advances have been researched and implemented in Singapore such as self-driving taxis, self-driving buses, using drones and robots to monitor criminal behavior, smart home systems, smart lampposts, etc.

6. United Kingdom

With more than 70 Nobel Prize winners, British scientists are second only to the United States in the number of Nobel laureates worldwide. In particular, the Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University of Cambridge has won more Nobel Prizes than any other laboratory in the world. Despite having only 1% of the world's population, the UK carries out 5% of the world's total scientific research.

Biotechnology is one of the fastest growing sectors. The UK is experimenting with new techniques to create genetically modified crops that are resistant to disease, pests and herbicides. These technologies are also being used to create new vaccines against major epidemics, and to produce innovative new biological products.

Some famous inventions that changed human life were announced by British scientists such as jet engines, steam engines, electric motors, light bulbs, etc.

The UK is currently one of the countries that contributes a lot to world science in general. The research of British scientists also contributes to improving the lives, health and spirit of people not only in this country but also globally.

7. Sweden

Sweden is a country with a high level of development in science and technology, with many successful experiences in training high-quality human resources. Although the population is not large, from being the poorest country in Europe in the mid-19th century, after a century of industrialization and modernization, Sweden has become a leading developed country in the world, with a high position and reputation in the international market.

Sweden has gone through the industrialization stage and is on the way to a post-industrial society based on a knowledge economy, being one of the countries with the highest ratio of spending on research and technology development in industry (3% of GDP). Sweden's economic growth rate is mainly due to the success of technology companies. Sweden is also one of the countries with the greatest achievements in web and application development.

With a population of just under 10 million, Sweden is a hub for innovation. The Swedish capital Stockholm has produced the second-highest number of unicorns (billion-dollar tech companies) per capita in the world. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), there are 20 startups for every 1,000 workers in Sweden.

As a leader in innovation and sustainability, Swedish companies have the technological solutions to pioneer and drive the green transition. Sweden is on track to become the first country in the world to be independent of fossil fuels.

The country is home to some of the tech giants like Ericsson, Skype, Spotify, Torrent, Volvo, Electrolux, …

8. Israel

Although Israel is not a very large country, it is far ahead of most other countries when it comes to technological advancement. The Jewish nation is known for its innovations in smart agriculture and the defense industry. Additionally, the country is one of the leading nations in the field of space science.

Technology accounts for about 35% of Israel’s exports. In terms of space science research, the country is currently ranked among the top 5 economies in the world. Israel is also known for its military innovations, such as developing the first drone that can monitor any situation in real time. The country is one of the few technologically advanced countries with an advanced electric vehicle infrastructure. They have a well-maintained network of charging stations across the country.

9. China

China is becoming one of the pioneering countries in innovation. With a series of achievements, this country is showing its ambition and influence in the global technology industry.

Over the past decade, China has built a solid foundation in artificial intelligence (AI). According to Stanford University's AI Index, China is among the top three countries in the world in terms of the speed of artificial intelligence development. In the field of research alone, one-third of international scientific articles and citations in 2021 were by Chinese scholars. In terms of economic investment, in 2021, private companies in this country poured $17 billion into AI, accounting for nearly one-fifth of global private investment in this field.

The Chinese government is working hard to achieve its goal of becoming a global leader in AI by 2030. The sectors expected to see significant changes thanks to AI include transportation, chip design, healthcare, and the software industry.

Besides the AI ​​field, China is also one of the countries that is investing and developing strongly in emerging technologies such as 5G, quantum computing, supercomputers and renewable energy.

Now, China is on the journey to achieve technological hegemony by 2035 with many great challenges but no small potential. In response to the fierce sanctions of the US, they are determined to race to develop advanced chips, other core technologies and emerging technologies to become a "self-reliant technology superpower" with a fairly solid foundation in terms of economy, human resources and talent.

10. Switzerland

The World Intellectual Property Organization ranks Switzerland as the most innovative country in the world. Despite its scarcity of natural industrial resources, the country’s economy has always been built on science and technology, and both the government and the private sector have enthusiastically supported this approach.

One of the world famous products from Switzerland is the wristwatch, an indispensable fashion accessory in today's world. With a large investment in research and development of technology, Switzerland has become a strong technological country in the community of nations around the world.

The country has low unemployment, a highly skilled workforce, and also one of the highest per capita gross domestic products in the world.

In short, the modern digital age has brought many conveniences to people. In the near future, the benefits of modern technology will continue to innovate and develop, bringing significant changes to our daily lives.