Geopolitical tensions from 2025 will continue into 2026, influencing trade, cybersecurity, and global stability. At the forefront is digital sovereignty: who controls the infrastructures, data, and technologies underpinning societies.

Influence is no longer measured by armies or markets —it is measured by who governs and protects the digital frontier.

Control is a strategic asset. Mismanagement is a critical threat.

Forward-looking nations will invest in resilience, science, and innovation, reducing reliance on actors whose values diverge from their own. This is more than economic strategy—it safeguards freedom, security, and technological independence. Emerging technologies, from AI to next-generation communications, accelerate these dynamics.

Control over data and infrastructure has become a new form of power, and accountability its moral test.

Private technologies increasingly become instruments of negotiation and leverage.

Digital and tech diplomacy will define global influence. Nations that navigate these challenges effectively will shape norms, secure cross-border collaborations, and ensure robust governance. Failure exposes states, corporations, and citizens to manipulation, surveillance, and disruption.

The mandate is clear: 2026 demands foresight, investment in secure and ethical technologies, and proactive engagement. Governments, enterprises, and innovators must prioritize resilience, transparency, and collaboration.

About the Author

Deborah Collier is an influential strategic & ‘Futurist Leader’ with 30-years’ experience working across digital, technology, marketing and business. A digital, media and technology entrepreneur, described as a ‘global economic force’ as founder and president of industry’s global awarding body Digital Skills Authority. She is also a media CEO, and former non-executive director.

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