The White-Hot International Standards Competition (The Fourth Industrial Revolution)

Venturing through the thicket of history, we have arrived at the Fourth Industrial Revolution, poised to witness the unparalleled power and influence of standardization woven across the global landscape. In this period, standards are synonymous with power, whispering deterrence from nuclear weapons, directing probes in the vast expanse of space, giving off shrieking sounds from maneuvering fighter jets, and weaving the future in the nanoscopic world of chips. This is an epic of standards, narrating stories of confrontation and collaboration. Standards are simultaneously weapons in the battle for dominance and bridges for seeking common ground while preserving differences. In this chapter, we will explore the path of standardization over the past three decades amid historical tides. In this age of both competition and opportunity, standards are poised for strategic action like hunters in a dense forest. 3D printing, Hyperloop technology, and those once only found in science fiction are now subjects of fierce struggle for dominance in the real world. Space exploration, the future computed, Starlink, and artificial intelligence have emerged as standard surfers, ridding tides of the times. Competition over standards unfolds in every corner of the market, manifested in the scramble for public bytes, the white-hot chip wars, the fast evolution of electric vehicles, and the 5G to B revolution, to name a few. Behind these battles without bullets lie aspirations and yearnings for an unbounded future. The winner takes all while the law of the jungle reigns supreme. Yet, this is also an era of collaboration for mutual benefit, where openness, inclusiveness, respect, and trust serve as new guiding principles, ushering us toward a future of greater prosperity and harmony. Standards are no longer merely corporate strategies. They have become the bedrock of national strategies and top-level designs, crucial to a nation’s survival and development and vital to the well-being of every citizen. Let us forge ahead courageously in the tide of standardization, composing our own chapter in this passionate era!