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THE SYSTEMS RACE

How Free Societies Win in an Age of Scale, Capacity, and Trust

At Sciences Po Paris with Arancha González, former Foreign Minister of Spain and Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs, discussing how free societies can compete and flourish in an age defined by technology, trust, and strategic systems.
The defining contests of this century will not be decided by software alone or military strength alone.
They will be decided by who can build complete systems at scale—digital platforms, energy, manufacturing, capital, logistics, talent, and trusted partnerships.
Three tests will shape the outcome. Will free societies build the energy, compute, and trusted systems needed to compete for the Global Middle before rival AI flywheels lock them into second place globally? Can they build alternatives to China-centered manufacturing ecosystems in essential goods? Can alliances such as NATO, the Quad, and the G7 become operating systems for production, standards, security, and trust?
Free societies have the talent, capital, companies, universities, and allies to lead. The question is whether they can connect those strengths fast enough to build systems that work.
That is the Systems Race.

Power Runs Through Capacity

With Debbie at NVIDIA headquarters, where innovation and compute are reshaping the future.

Ideas in Dialogue

Engaging students at Cambridge Judge Business School on strategy and leadership.

Global Partnerships

Briefing President Tô Lâm and senior Vietnamese officials during their recent London state visit.

CORE THEMES

The Digital Flywheel Is Global

AI and digital platforms improve as users, data, compute, and applications scale. The Global Middle will help decide whose systems become the default.

Production Capacity Is Power

China competes through manufacturing ecosystems, not isolated factories. Free societies need trusted alternatives for essential goods, infrastructure, energy, and technology.

Alliances Must Become Operating Systems

NATO, the Quad, the G7, and other partnerships must move beyond statements toward coordinated production, standards, finance, security, and deployment.

Free Societies Must Perform

Open systems retain great strengths, but only if they deliver opportunity, resilience, and trust at home and abroad.

RECENT IDEAS

Speaking at Pacific Forum on deterrence and Indo-Pacific security.

BRING STRATEGIC CLARITY TO YOUR AUDIENCE

For keynote speeches, executive briefings, board retreats, university forums, or strategic discussions.