Technology is important in several different industries: Military, medical, information technology and engineering are all industries that rely on technology. Determining the most technologically advanced country means that you have to take its application of technology in all fields into consideration. A country cannot lead in just one sector and be considered the most advanced country when it comes to technology. When taking all the different industries into account, it is clear that the United States is the most advanced country when it comes to technology.
One of the fields where the U.S. tops the list is scientific research. The country leads the way with the most published scientific research papers. Scientific research has broad implications in many different fields. The U.S. has many of the top universities in the world, and scientific research is often conducted in these universities. Research is also conducted in the private sector.
Medical technology is also where the U.S. stands out. Currently, the U.S. dominates the medical technology field accounting for 40% of the global market for medical devices. Most of the worlds major medical technology companies are based in the U.S. Although the country has dominated the medical technology field for well over 50 years, countries like China, Brazil and India seem to be gaining ground.
The U.S. is also the most technologically advanced military country in the world. Some of these advancements have been implemented in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most people are familiar with the military drones the U.S. has used from time to time. The U.S. has the largest military budget in the world; research and development of new technologies has always been an important part of the military budget.
Although the U.S. is the leader in many different fields when it comes to technology, it still trails Japan when it comes to computer technology. Japan currently has the most powerful supercomputer in the world; the country with the second most powerful supercomputer is China, and the U.S. has the third fastest supercomputer. Japan also leads the way when it comes to consumer electronic technology; however, Japan trails the U.S. in all other areas.
Although the U.S. is clearly the most technologically advanced country right now, other countries are making advances that may allow them to catch up to the U.S. in the future. China, India, Brazil and Japan are all countries that are making impressive technological gains. The U.S. will have to concentrate even more on technology if it wants to hold its current ranking.