Innovating Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty

Amid rising geopolitical volatility, Yat Ming Ooi argues that innovation leaders must pivot from efficiency-first global models to resilience-centered strategies. With technology decoupling, export controls, and digital sovereignty fragmenting markets, firms face constrained access to semiconductors, AI talent, data, and cross-border collaborations. Ooi urges practitioners to replace “just-in-time” with “just-in-case,” diversify suppliers, localize and modularize design and production, and institutionalize foresight and scenario planning. Rather than retreating from collaboration, he calls for regionalized innovation ecosystems, hybrid open-innovation models, and stronger public–private partnerships with academia—while tackling trust, IP, and talent gaps. The article’s message is clear: resilience, adaptability, and nonmarket savvy must be built into innovation systems to thrive under sustained geopolitical uncertainty.