One of the secrets to China’s engineering success is its young people. In 2020, more than 3.5 million of the country’s students graduated with degrees in science, technology, engineering and maths, better known as STEM.
That’s more than any other country in the world - and Beijing is keen to leverage it. “Building strength in education, science and talent is a shared responsibility,” Xi told party leaders last week.
IMHO that’s the linchpin, what’s the gap between what a leader (political or business) would claim to be true versus… what’s actually working, and beyond that, what’s actually useful then used in practice.
Working in innovation we called this the “marketing gap” and it’s quite a funnel, from broad claim that AI or any other emerging technology will “change everything” to what people, workers and consumers alike, actually use frequently and are wiling to pay for.
One needs bold claims, even if false, to get votes or funding money.