BRICS Nations Pivot From Natural Resources to Human Capital and Technology in New Economic Competition
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, global economic trends indicate a gradual transition away from traditional production resources towards knowledge, technology, and human capital, significantly amplifying the importance of education and research in determining national positions within the international economy. Data released by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry reveals that India’s exports of goods and services surpassed $860 billion in 2025, marking a 4.22% increase from the previous year, with the government aiming to reach $2 trillion by 2030.
A substantial portion of this growth is attributed to knowledge-based industries, including information technology, engineering, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries. In line with this, India’s National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) has announced the country’s shift from product assembly to the manufacturing of more advanced components and products.
A report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) emphasizes that the global economy has entered an era where the ability to transform knowledge into technology, exports, and industrial production is the most critical factor for economic growth. Within this framework, education and research are no longer solely tools for human resource development but have become instruments for creating technology and added value.
BRICS countries, representing approximately 40% of the world’s population, collectively form the largest pool of human capital globally. However, each member state is pursuing distinct pathways to convert their knowledge and scientific capacities into economic growth.
In China, the knowledge-based economy has become a cornerstone of development policies. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China has reported that the country’s state-owned enterprises invested over 1.1 trillion yuan in research, development, and innovation in 2025. China also continues to be the world’s leading patent applicant, with approximately 1.8 million patent applications filed in 2024.
India also set a new patent filing record in the fiscal year 2025-2026, with over 143,000 patent applications submitted, an increase of more than 30% compared to the previous year. In Russia, according to the country’s patent office, over 48,000 patent and utility model applications were registered in 2025, with a 25% rise in the number of commercialized patents year-on-year. Brazil experienced its best patent application performance since 2016 in 2025, with nearly 30,000 applications.
Valery Abramov, a senior researcher at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, posits that the global economy’s transition towards NBICS technologies—encompassing nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, cognitive science, and humanities—is the primary driver of changes in economic growth patterns. He asserts that these technologies are fostering new markets, improving quality of life, and accelerating the development of cutting-edge technologies within BRICS nations.
Experts, however, caution that simply increasing investment in education does not automatically guarantee economic growth. A significant gap often exists between educational systems and the actual needs of the economy in many countries, hindering the translation of scientific capabilities into revenue and technology exports. Raymond Matlala, the President of the BRICS Youth Association of South Africa, highlighted the necessity for closer collaboration between universities, technical institutions, and corporations to ensure that graduates’ skills align with real economic demands.
Furthermore, the proliferation of artificial intelligence is reshaping the labor market. Experts indicate that repetitive and administrative jobs are gradually losing their importance, while demand for skills such as data analysis, creativity, decision-making, and technology development is escalating.
An examination of BRICS countries reveals that China has established the most successful model for integrating science, industry, and exports. India is following a similar trajectory by focusing on extensive training of specialized human resources and exporting IT services. In contrast, countries like Russia, Brazil, South Africa, and Egypt continue to face challenges in transforming scientific capacities into widespread technology exports. The United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Ethiopia are striving to enhance their positions in the knowledge-based economy through investments in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies.
Experts predict that competition among BRICS nations in the coming years will increasingly focus on attracting researchers, engineers, and technology specialists. Countries capable of establishing a complete chain from university education, research, and industrial production to global market presence will possess a significant structural advantage. The future economy, it is projected, will rely more on the ability to produce and commercialize knowledge than on the extraction of natural resources, positioning education and science not just as infrastructure for the future economy, but as the future economy itself.
