Australia, India, Japan, and USA create critical and emerging technology working group

On 12 March, leaders of Australia, India, Japan, and the USA met in the first-ever Quad summit and pledged to strengthen their cooperation in multiple areas, including in addressing challenges in cyberspace and critical technologies. The Quad committed to beginning cooperation on critical technologies, ‘to ensure that innovation is consistent with a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific’. A first step in this regard is the creation of a Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group, whose goals will be to: (a) develop a statement of principles on technology design, development, and use; (b) facilitate coordination on technology standards development, including between national technology standards bodies and working with a broad range of partners; c) encourage cooperation on telecommunications deployment, diversification of equipment suppliers, and future telecommunications, including through close cooperation with private sectors and industry; (d) facilitate cooperation to monitor trends and opportunities related to developments in critical and emerging technology, including biotechnology; and (e) convene dialogues on critical technology supply chains.