The Triple Helix of Modern Science Diplomacy: Where Science Meets Strategy

Published on January 14th, 2026

Science diplomacy has traditionally been defined by its core function to build bridges across borders using science. However, it is now prime time to ensure such bridges actively support science and technology exchanges with clear, results-focused partnerships. We see signals for the need to “rewire” how science diplomacy is modeled, with a mindset that emphasizes near-term returns for the players involved [1]. The “rewiring” must incorporate voices of non-state actors too, including technology companies, which increasingly engage in global “statecraft” aligned with corporate goals, shaping standards, norms, and innovation ecosystems. It is therefore not a surprise that technology diplomacy is oftentimes the first bridge built between nations negotiating transactional agreements.

It will take courage and ingenuity to balance this with the crucial need to incentivize basic science that often does not produce an immediate return. However, we have seen science diplomacy evolve from aspirational to pragmatic approaches before. Science diplomacy practitioners should therefore not shy away from an outcomes-oriented approach aligned with national priorities, whether in quantum sciences or engineering biology.

This is exactly where the relevance of platforms like the Frontiers Policy Labs comes into play, with an environment that encourages exploration of how science can contribute to more effective policymaking that reflects global dynamics. As Jean-Claude Burgelman outlined in his commentary, Policy Labs allow us to rethink the old order of how societies develop policies, reacting to the current techno-economic paradigm shift with emerging technologies at the center of it all.

As the nexus between science and global policy takes on the next phase of its evolution, I look forward to seeing how Policy Labs acts as an important platform for science diplomacy discussions on how the strong “triple helix” of aspirational, pragmatic, and transactional diplomacy can advance humanity’s progress in a much more coherent and effective way.

Copyright: © 2026 [author(s)]. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in Frontiers Policy Labs is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. 

References

[1] Vaughan C. Turekian, Peter Gluckman, Rewiring science diplomacy. Science 389,761-761(2025). DOI:10.1126/science.aeb4815

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