Document Type : Original Article from Result of Thesis
Authors
1 PhD Student of international relations at Shahid Beheshti University.
2 Associate Professor, Global and Regional Politics Department , Shahid Beheshti University.
3 Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Tarbit University, Madras.
Abstract
Highlights
Introduction
This study discusses the issue that although technology facilitates affairs in various aspects of human life, it has also assumed a disruptive role. Technological disruption refers to a function of technology indicating that changes in the rules of the game and the components governing the logic of action transform a wide range of international issues (from international security to global governance and foreign policy). These changes influence the failure or success of countries in complying with the new networks of values and performance. In this regard, geoeconomics, as an important platform for emerging competitions for power, has also been subject to technological disruption. This article hence aims to find out how technological disruption can affect the geoeconomic status of countries as well as their position in the international arena. The research hypothesis indicates that technological development from the late 20th century has established a networking of the operating spaces and governance of currents between countries by shaping the spatial rotation and, as a result, has disrupted and put in doubt the independent agency of geoeconomic actors. On the other hand, by facilitating the exertion of power and authority as the regulator and director of the strategic currents, technology highlights the position of some countries and marginalizes others. This study aims to evaluate in detail the dimensions of Iran’s geoeconomic status, as the study case, based on the intended framework.
Methodology
This research was a descriptive-analytical study using the documentary method.
Findings and discussion
Technological innovations in the military and economic fields have led to a shift in the battlefield of power from military might to economic power and also to the emergence of a geoeconomic discourse. In addition, technological developments have changed the constituents of geoeconomics, i.e. power and space, considering the requirements of each era. In other words, technology is a component of the behavioral power (the ability to control the outcomes) that has overshadowed the power of resources (the objective capabilities of countries). That is why technological developments have been transforming the operating spaces of countries since the late 20th century. As a result, multiple interconnected networks are governing the majority of economic activities. However, the dominance of these networks and the currents governing them have undermined the importance of territory and geography as a source of national power. Therefore, the components of geoeconomic power have moved from the merely geographical capacities (i.e. energy and mineral resources, topographic location, and other related issues) toward the relational position of countries in being connected to the networks. As a result, the geoeconomic strength and competitiveness of countries are determined by parameters such as the intensity and volume of network connections, position in the network of global cities, the logistics performance of the countries in the management of currents, and technological communication with strategic areas and innovation centers. In addition to paving the way for the formation of networks and the domination of currents over spaces, technology has marginalized the use of privileged positions for bargaining in political differences and conflicts and, consequently, allowed investment in competing opportunities and providing alternative strategic currents.
Conclusion
The study findings generally suggest that the status of countries in today’s world is not defined by their geographical position, but it is determined based on how they understand, connect to, and control the currents governing the networking space. Non-compliance with the rules and logic of such networks not only can eliminate a country from the geoeconomic competition and global supply chain but also weakens the traditional and potential capacities of that country. However, technologies and investments in them have further highlighted this proposition because they provide facilities for regulating and orienting new routes and alternative solutions. Although Iran has the potential to act as a carrier of currents, selective communication with interconnected strategic networks, reliance on merely traditional capabilities, inability to properly understand the emerging geoeconomic space, and insufficient attention to the new constituents of power in this space are the factors that can jeopardize the geoeconomic status of Iran. More precisely, Iran has performed more poorly than its neighboring countries with a similar geographical location in indicators such as the intensity and volume of network connections, position in the network of global cities, logistics performance in the management of currents, and interaction with strategic regions of the world. Moreover, the investments of Iran’s competitors and the efforts of transregional powers to geopolitically isolate Iran can further threaten the geoeconomic status of this country in the long run.
Keywords
Main Subjects
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