Column: Open innovation: A path to shared global progress

by Maya Majueran

True innovation thrives when knowledge flows freely. In an interconnected world, progress accelerates not through isolation but collaboration -- when nations, businesses and researchers share breakthroughs rather than hoard them. This is no longer just idealism; it is the key to solving humanity's greatest challenges.

Today, innovation defines competitiveness. Those who adapt the fastest lead and those who resist change risk irrelevance. Yet for decades, innovation was concentrated in a few selected nations, creating a global divide. Early leaders reaped economic rewards, wielded geopolitical influence, and restricted access to critical technologies for dominance.

This exclusion came at a cost. Technologies that could have alleviated poverty, improved food security, or expanded education were kept behind barriers, widening the gap between the developed and developing worlds. Protectionism served short-term interests but stifled collective progress.

The tide is turning. Digital connectivity, open-source platforms and cross-border partnerships are dismantling old barriers. Developing nations are no longer mere recipients of innovation; they are emerging as key innovators themselves. Initiatives like shared AI research, open datasets, and collaborative R&D prove that inclusivity fuels advancement. When knowledge circulates freely, solutions scale faster -- benefiting everyone.

For too long, a handful of powerful nations have acted as gatekeepers of technology, imposing trade sanctions, export controls and patent monopolies to suppress competition. These tactics, justified as "security" or "economic policy," slowed innovation in much of the world. The goal was clear: preserve hierarchies by deciding who could innovate, when and how.

But the future cannot be locked behind borders. Breakthroughs in AI, clean energy and medicine are too urgent to be constrained by zero-sum thinking. The question is no longer whether innovation should be shared, but how swiftly we can democratize it.

Innovation isn't owned by anyone. It flourishes wherever curiosity, talent and opportunity meet -- whether in Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, Bengaluru or Nairobi. The belief that only a selected few can innovate is not just arrogant; it's a losing strategy in a world where talent and ideas are everywhere.

Some countries lecture others about intellectual property while conveniently forgetting how they themselves borrowed, adapted and built upon existing knowledge to get ahead. Now, as emerging economies advance, developing cutting-edge AI, renewable energy solutions and medical breakthroughs, the same gatekeepers panic.

China's DeepSeek has sent tremors through the halls of power in Washington, Brussels and Silicon Valley, directly challenging the entrenched dominance of Western tech giants and the political structures that have long controlled cutting-edge innovation.

For decades, a few selected nations and corporations treated advanced AI as their exclusive playground, setting rules while keeping others dependent on their frameworks, chips and algorithms. They preached "open innovation" while maintaining strict technological hierarchies until DeepSeek proved those hierarchies could be broken.

However, China has demonstrated a different approach to innovation -- one rooted in openness rather than restriction. Instead of keeping its breakthroughs confined, China opted to open-source its DeepSeek AI model, allowing global researchers, developers and institutions to access and build upon it. This bold move not only reinforces China's commitment to collaborative progress but also challenges the traditional model of gatekeeping technological advancements. By making DeepSeek publicly available, China is helping to democratize access to cutting-edge AI, setting a powerful precedent for shared innovation in the modern era.

China's approach offers a compelling alternative. By investing in open AI frameworks, shared research platforms and accessible tools, it is levelling the playing field. Its advancements in large language models, for example, are not just technical feats -- they are bridges, enabling global researchers to build solutions without reinventing the wheel.

The 21st century's defining challenge is whether innovation will serve as a force for unity or division. Will we cling to outdated models of control, or embrace collaboration as the fastest path to shared prosperity? The evidence is clear: monopolies stifle progress; openness accelerates it.

China's commitment to open innovation sets a precedent. By democratizing access, it proves that true leadership lies not in dominance but in empowering others. The nations that will thrive tomorrow are those choosing to share knowledge today, because progress, like the challenges we face, knows no borders. In an interconnected world, real advancement is driven not by isolation but by cooperation, empathy and the willingness to grow together.

The future belongs to those who collaborate. Those who refuse will be left behind.

Editor's note: Maya Majueran currently serves as a director of Belt & Road Initiative Sri Lanka, an independent and pioneering organization with strong expertise in Belt and Road Initiative advice and support.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Xinhua News Agency.